Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> House Plants

Growing a Banana Plant Indoors: Light Requirements

A reader asks if a banana plant can live indoors and which side is best.

Yes—But Only in Prime Light

Banana plants (Musa spp.) can grow indoors only directly in front of a completely uncovered sunny window. Western or southern exposure is best. Anything less will result in weak, spindly growth.

House Plants: Banana Plant Collapse: Corn Borers in Mother, Save the Pups; Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) Cold Damage: Pruning for Recovery; White Drops and Webs on Indoor Plants: Likely Harmless; Dwarf Banana Tree Winter Care: Sunporch & Transpiration; Banana Plant Care in South Carolina: Know Your Variety; Banana Bunch in Cold Weather: Wrap or Cut and Bring In?; Troubleshooting a Browning Banana Plant in Orlando; Indoor Banana Brown Edges and Powdery Mildew; Ornamental Banana Identification: Edible or Not?; Frozen Banana Tree: Top Rot Means Death

Garden Articles

Banana Plant Bugs in New Leaf Tube

Moving a Hibiscus Tree Outdoors in Philadelphia

How to Prune an Overgrown Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

Yucca Plant Misidentified as Palm: Overwatering Recovery

Dwarf Banana Plant Care: Repotting, Light, and Wintering

Gardenia Tree Care: Outdoor Summer, Indoor Winter Survival Guide

Saving Your Money Tree from Scale Insects: Proper Treatment and Care Adjustments

Plants

Indoor Banana Plant: Brown Edges, White Dots, and Cold Trunk

Hawthorn Root System: Safe for Patio Planting

Planting Weeping Cherry Near a House: Spacing Guidelines for Root and Canopy Safety

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Care in UK: Indoor/Outdoor Guide

Banana Plant Winter Survival in Atlanta: Dig, Pot, or Mulch Gamble?

Bonsai Crisis: Unidentified Species, Dry Brittle Leaves—Need Photos to Save It

Permanently Removing a Banana Plant: Safe, Effective Methods