Botanical name: Magnolia figo    Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia family)
Synonyms: Magnolia annonifolia, Michelia figo, Liriodendron figo

Banana Shrub is a dense, upright, evergreen shrub when young that eventually forms a rounded canopy. It attains a height of 10 to 15 feet in sunny locations. The banana shrub is so called because of the distinctive, sweet banana scent of its flowers. These are formed within interesting fuzzy brown bracts that form a 1 inch cigar-shaped bud. From these, small pale yellow flowers bloom. The flowers are about 1.5 inches in diameter with each of six waxy petals delicately outlined in dark red. The elliptic-oblong, glossy green leaves are 3-5 in long by 1-2 in wide. Banana Shrub is native to China, and is used as an ornamental plant in parts of India. Flowering: March-May.

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The flower labeled Banana Shrub is ...