Ensete ventricosum, commonly known as enset or ensete, Ethiopian banana, Abyssinian banana, and false banana, is an herbaceous species of flowering plant in the banana family Musaceae.
Ensete ventricosum is a huge, banana-like, evergreen perennial that is very similar to plants in the genus Musa where it once resided as Musa ensete. As distinguished from Musa, this plant has a stronger leaf midrib and generally does not produce suckers. It is a fast-growing, evergreen perennial that typically grows to 12-20’ tall, but may reach 30-40’ tall in its native tropical habitat. Huge paddle-shaped leaves (to 10-20’+ long and 2-4’ wide) are bright olive green with prominent midribs. Sheathing leafstalks form a trunk-like structure. White flowers (generally non-showy) in inflorescences appear somewhat hidden in summer on mature plants. Younger plants often will not flower and fruit for the first 3-5 years. Container plants cut close to the ground in fall each year may never flower. Banana-like fruits (to 3” long) are dry and inedible.
