WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ensete ventricosum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Abyssinian banana in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Abyssinian banana in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 8.8 gallons each time under a 4 foot canopy, about 12 gallons a week. Abyssinian banana is a giant, banana-like plant from Ethiopia with a thick, fleshy false trunk and huge paddle leaves with a strong midrib. It does not make offsets: each plant flowers once at the end of its life and then dies. It wants sun or part shade, a wind-sheltered spot and plenty of water through the growing season.

ShrubPalm or cycadRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Abyssinian banana, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
4 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Abyssinian banana and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 2 to 3 inches down around the trunk means Abyssinian banana needs water
  • Huge leaves wilting or folding by midday point to a dry root zone in summer heat
  • Leaves split into strips after wind are storm damage, not a sign of thirst
  • Yellowing leaves and a soft, rotting trunk base in soggy soil point to poor drainage
  • A plant that sends up a central flower stalk is nearing the end of its life, whatever the watering

How to water it

  • Water Abyssinian banana deeply around the base of the false trunk with drip or a slow hose
  • Keep the soil moist about a foot down through the growing season, letting only the surface dry
  • Plant in sun or part shade in a wind-sheltered courtyard or between buildings
  • Mulch thickly with compost to hold moisture around the roots
  • Widen the watered area as the leaves spread toward 10 to 15 feet

Through the seasons

Water a new Abyssinian banana generously through its first warm season while roots fill the planting area. Established plants need plenty of water throughout the growing season and less in winter, when growth slows. It is hardy to about 25 degrees without damage. It makes no offsets, so plan a replacement before an old plant blooms. WUCOLS rates Abyssinian banana high water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. It is marked not suited to the high desert, and WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the low desert.

In pots

Abyssinian banana grows well in a large pot, which lets you shelter it indoors where winters are too cold. Use a big container with drainage holes and a rich mix. In summer, check 2 inches down every few days and water deeply when dry, since its huge leaves use a lot of water. Empty the saucer afterward. In winter, growth slows, so water lightly and keep the plant above about 25 degrees.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
4.27gal per sq ft in JulyHigh water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
27.38 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
1.12.13.24.30.64JAN1.04FEB1.74MAR2.43APR3.32MAY3.97JUN4.27JUL3.82AUG2.88SEP1.88OCT0.89NOV0.55DEC1.12.13.24.30.64JFM2.43AMJ4.27JAS1.88OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 4.27 in Jul, 27.38 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Abyssinian Banana: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.60.641.241.24––
Feb0.841.041.291.39––
Mar1.391.741.842.08––
Apr1.882.432.232.58––
May2.333.322.583.12––
Jun2.583.972.783.67––
Jul2.584.273.174.02––
Aug2.383.822.983.72––
Sep1.982.882.382.98––
Oct1.391.881.842.13––
Nov0.740.891.341.44––
Dec0.50.551.041.09––
Year19.227.3824.829.46––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated high water in the Central Valley, like Abyssinian banana. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

HydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla & cvs.high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlueberriesVaccinium hybrids and cvs (CA native and non- native spp.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyShell GingerAlpinia zerumbethigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBog RosemaryAndromeda polifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlood Twig DogwoodCornus sanguineahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed-veined EnkianthusEnkianthus campanulatushigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala petiolarishigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulySnowball HydrangeaHydrangea arborescenshigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyLacecap HydrangeaHydrangea aspera villosahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBrazilian Plume FlowerJusticia carneahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBananaMusa spp. (shade in low desert)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWillowSalix spp. (shrubs)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyVine MapleAcer circinatumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBig Leaf MapleAcer macrophyllumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWhite AlderAlnus rhombifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed AlderAlnus rubra (Alnus oregona)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Abyssinian banana in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Abyssinian banana, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Abyssinian banana in summer?

In July, established Abyssinian banana in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 5 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Abyssinian banana need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Abyssinian banana needs about 1.7 gallons a day under a 4 foot canopy and about 6.9 gallons a day under a 8 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Abyssinian banana change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Abyssinian banana separately for each of the six California climate zones: high water in the North-Central Coastal zone, high water in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, high water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Will my Abyssinian banana make pups?

No. It is a non-offsetting plant that flowers once from its center and then dies. To keep one in the garden, start a replacement plant ahead of time.

Does Abyssinian banana produce edible bananas?

Not like a fruiting banana. In Ethiopia it is grown as a food crop for its starchy false trunk rather than its fruit. Garden plants are grown for their leaves.

How do I protect Abyssinian banana from wind?

Plant it in a courtyard, walled garden or sheltered slot between buildings. Wind tears the big leaves and dries them faster, so a sheltered spot also saves water.

How cold can Abyssinian banana take?

It handles about 25 degrees without damage. In colder areas, grow it in a large pot and bring it indoors for winter.

Can you overwater Abyssinian banana?

Yes, especially in winter, when it grows slowly. Keep the soil moist in the warm season but never waterlogged, and cut back when growth slows.

More plant watering guides

BlueberriesBig Leaf MapleJapanese Sweet FlagWhite AlderRed AlderRed GingerShell GingerBog Rosemary

Sources