Plant family
Bananas & bird-of-paradise — Musaceae & relatives
70 species across 6 genera in the Growli library
The big paddle-leaved tropicals of the banana order — edible and ornamental bananas (Musa, Ensete), bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia), the lobster-claw heliconias and the cannas — grown for dramatic foliage and, given warmth, spectacular flowers.
Browse bananas & bird-of-paradise by genus
All bananas & bird-of-paradise we cover
- Balbis Banana
- Balisier Heliconia
- Beefsteak Heliconia
- Bird of paradise
- Bishop Heliconia
- Blood Banana
- Blue Java Banana
- Canna 'Bengal Tiger'
- Canna 'Black Knight'
- Canna 'Cleopatra'
- Canna 'Durban'
- Canna 'Pacific Beauty'
- Canna 'Phasion'
- Canna 'Pink Sunburst'
- Canna 'Pretoria'
- Canna 'Red King Humbert'
- Canna 'Roi Humbert'
- Canna 'Striped Beauty'
- Canna 'The President'
- Canna 'Tropicanna'
- Canna 'Wyoming'
- Canna 'Yellow King Humbert'
- Cavendish Banana
- Christmas Heliconia
- Collins' Heliconia
- Curled-Spathe Heliconia
- Dwarf Cavendish Banana
- Dwarf Jamaican Heliconia
- Easter Heliconia
- Edge of Night Heliconia
- Ethiopian Banana
- Expanded Lobster Claw
- Flowering Banana
- Giant White Bird of Paradise
- Goldfinger Banana
- Hanging Heliconia
- Hanging Lobster Claw
- Ice Cream Banana
- Indian Shot
- Japanese Banana
- Lady Finger Banana
- Lady Finger Banana
- Lobster Claw Heliconia
- Metallic Heliconia
- Mountain Strelitzia
- Narrow-Leaf Bird of Paradise
- Narrow-Leaved Bird of Paradise
- Nodding Heliconia
- Parrot's Beak Heliconia
- Peruvian Canna
- Pink Velvet Banana
- Plantain
- Red Banana
- Red-Margined Heliconia
- Rock Banana
- Sarapiqui Heliconia
- Scarlet Banana
- Sexy Pink Heliconia
- Sikkim Banana
- Snow Banana
- Southern Canna
- Sumatra Banana
- Traveller's Palm
- Tuerckheim Canna
- Water Canna
- White bird of paradise
- White Bird of Paradise
- Wide-Bract Heliconia
- Wild Plantain Heliconia
- Woolly Heliconia
Bananas & bird-of-paradise — frequently asked questions
Are bananas & bird-of-paradise toxic to cats and dogs?
Most bananas & bird-of-paradise are not pet-safe. Of the 70 bananas & bird-of-paradise in the Growli library, 45 (64%) carry a toxic or mildly-toxic ASPCA classification and 25 are pet-safe. They are not uniformly safe, so always confirm the exact species on its pet-safety page before trusting it around cats or dogs.
How much light do bananas & bird-of-paradise need?
Most bananas & bird-of-paradise want plenty of direct sun — 47 of the 70 in our library do best there. If yours stretches toward the window or loses its variegation it needs more light; scorched or bleached leaves mean it is getting too much.
Are bananas & bird-of-paradise easy to care for?
Some bananas & bird-of-paradise suit experienced growers — several want strong light, sharp drainage or a specific seasonal rhythm. Check the individual species page for the exact regime before you buy.
What is the Musaceae & relatives family?
The Musaceae & relatives family — the bananas & bird-of-paradise — groups 70 species across 6 genera in the Growli library, most prominently Heliconia, Canna, Musa. Members share a broadly similar light, water and soil pattern, which is why it pays to learn the family before the individual plant.