Michelia figo

Banana Shrub

Wonderful in flower. Flowers are extremely fragrant but are susceptible to cold damage in hardiness zone 8. Banana Shrub is a dense, upright, evergreen shrub. It has lustrous, dark green foliage with brown hairs on the underside. Brown hairs cover the green twigs so densely that twigs appear brown. The fragrant, 1 1/2-inch-diameter, light-yellow flowers are magnolia-like in appearance. They last from spring until early summer and have a very interesting fragrance; they smell like ripening bananas. This smell can be very pleasant but can be overwhelming when these shrubs are massed together.

Height 12-20 Feet

Spread 12-15 Feet

USDA Hardiness Zone 8A to 10A

Characteristics & Attributes