Tabernaemontana pandacaqui (Banana Bush)
Botanical name: Tabernaemontana pandacaqui
Common name: Banana Bush
Family: Apocynaceae
Origin: Australia, Melanesia, New Guinea
Very cute low growing shrub native of the South Pacific, with Jasmine-like white pin-wheeled fragrant flowers, 5 petals with long tips fusing to form tube, regularly symmetrical.
The flowers are then followed by a pair of seeds that look like two bananas hanging in opposite directions, hence its common name. They start out red and then turn yellow when they ripen.
Variety Netty is a dwarf perennial shrub that grows only 3-4 ft tall. Its lush green foliage is a great backdrop for the abundant and continuous small white flowers that are pinwheel shaped.
Banana Bush works well as a mass planting, specimen shrub, or containerized accent piece. It is also drought tolerant once established and is a moderate grower. Ectra benefit is lack of pest problems associated with it. This plant is truly a winner.
In some sources Tabernaemontana pandacaqui is indicated as synonim of Tabernaemontana orientalis, however in our opinion they are different, with T. orientalis having pointed petals and T. pandacaqui rounded ones.
Similar plants: Tabernaemontana pandacaqui (Banana Bush)
- Rauvolfia verticillata (Devil Pepper)
- Stemmadenia galeottiana (Lechoso)
- Stemmadenia grandiflora (Wedding Tree)
- Tabernaemontana africana (Samoan Gardenia)
- Tabernaemontana aurantiaca (Orange Milkwood)
- Tabernaemontana australis (Australian Pinweel)
- Tabernaemontana corymbosa (Flower of Love)
- Tabernaemontana crassa (Adam's Apple)
- Tabernaemontana divaricata (Pinwheel Jasmine)
- Tabernaemontana divaricata 'Flore Pleno' (Crape Jasmine)