Canna 'Musifolia': The Giant Banana Canna

The Banana-Leaved Giant

Canna 'Musifolia' (also called 'Musaefolia' or 'Musafolia') is a colossal, banana-leaved canna grown primarily for its monumental foliage rather than its flowers. It creates instant tropical architecture at a scale few plants can match.

Botanical Information

Monumental Proportions

This giant canna reaches 8-12+ feet tall with enormous, paddle-shaped leaves 3-4 feet long and 1-2 feet wide, resembling a true banana plant (Musa). The leaves are solid green with a prominent midrib and a slight bluish cast. Flowers are relatively small, orange-red, and often hidden among the foliage—but the foliage is the main event.

'Musifolia' demands full sun, rich soil, abundant water, and heavy feeding to achieve its full potential. It's a spectacular seasonal screen or backdrop. Hardy in zones 7-10 with deep mulch; in colder zones, the massive rhizomes are lifted and stored. Give it space—it commands attention.

Architectural Applications

Unrivaled for creating instant tropical screening, backdrop planting, or a living wall. The scale transforms a garden into a jungle. Use at the back of borders, along fences, or as a seasonal privacy screen. In containers, it remains smaller but still impressive. A favorite for Victorian-style bedding schemes and subtropical garden designs.