
Ensete ventricosum
Enset · also Ensete, Ethiopian banana, Abyssinian banana
Report an issue with this species
Ensete ventricosum is a giant herbaceous plant notable for its large, banana-like leaves and pseudostems reaching up to 9 meters. Native to moist montane forests and riparian zones across East Africa, it serves as a crucial staple food in Ethiopia and is also cultivated as an ornamental for its tropical aesthetic.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 930.01%——
- 80.00%35 yr7.5 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 0–20 ft
- Canopy spread
- 10 ft
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Wildlife value
- High
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.5 in, mean 9.4 in, 90th percentile 13 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
- East African montane forests
- Eastern Arc forests
- Ethiopian montane forests