Ensete lecongkietii 5 seeds

This Ensete species was originally known from the Chiangmai area in northwestern Thailand and locally called “Kluay Pa. It has also been introduced into cultivation here and has long been confused with Ensete superbum, a very different species native to India. ‘Kluay Pa’ grows on steep limestone cliffs with seasonal dry forest vegetation. It is a very compact plant, with short, broad, glaucous leaf bases that form a thick, rounded stem. The very short petioles contain compact, leathery leaves that are glaucous below and pale green above. The leaf middle veinis reddish below and yellowish above. The striking inflorescence has large maroon bracts and eventually bears a bunch of squat fruits with small, shiny, black, Musella-like seeds. Ensete lecongkietii was scientifically described in 2012 as a new species from Vietnam. The similarities between it and Kluay Pa are striking and we are sure the two belong to the same species. The Kluay Pa Banana adapts well to both warm temperate and tropical climates. It prefers a spot in full sun, abundant water and good drainage.