Banana Plant

The banana plant is a small plant from the lakes and swamps of the southeastern United States that resembles water lilies but belongs to a separate family. It takes its name from the thick, green storage roots at its base, which look like a small bunch of bananas. Underwater it produces small, round, heart-shaped leaves and, over time, floating leaves on long stalks.

Do not bury the "bananas": the plant is set on top of the substrate, or only the tips of the bananas are pressed lightly into it. The fine roots will grow down into the substrate on their own. Buried bananas can rot. It is used alone in the foreground or midground.

• Light: Medium.
• CO₂: Not required, but it supports growth.
• Fertilizer: A small piece of root tab next to the roots.
• If you want the plant to stay low, cut leaves reaching for the surface at the base. Daughter plants may form over time on the stalks of the floating leaves.