Everblooming Banana Shrub
Michelia figo ‘Hagiwara’ Syn. Magnolia figo
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7b–11 (7a) Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub or Small Tree
Height at Maturity: 10-15′
Width at Maturity: 10-15′
Spacing: 8-10′ for solid hedges; 20′ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Broad, Bushy, Upright, Vase/Fountain Shape
Growth Rate: Fast
Flower Color: Butter Yellow
Flower Size: 1″
Flowering Period: Late Spring through the season!
Flower Type: Single
Fragrant Flowers: Yes, smells just like a banana popsicle!
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Sun or Part Shade. Please Note: The Everblooming Banana Shrub will grow well in either sun or shade, assuming a looser more open form when grown in a mostly shade environment. Leaves of Banana Shrub growing in direct, full sun will be a lighter shade of green. Some filtered sun or dappled shade during the mid afternoon hours in summer produces deeper green leaves, which we think is more attractive.
Water Needs: Average, low when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amended), Loam, Sandy, Silty
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 6.0 – 6.5 (Moderately Acid to Slightly Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Heat
Description
Also known as the Port Wine Magnolia or Banana Magnolia, the Everblooming Banana Shrub, Michelia figo ‘Hagiwara’, is unique in that its 1-inch magnolia-like flowers, which smell just like a banana popsicle, are produced throughout the warm season! The oblong, glossy, evergreen, green leaves are attractive year round. Can be grown as a shrub but especially attractive when lower branches are removed to form a multi-trunk small tree. Originally from China, banana shrub was introduced to United States in late 1700s and is one of the classic evergreen shrubs of the Old South.
Landscape & Garden Uses
The Evergreen Banana Shrub can be grown as a large shrub or lower branches can be removed to form a small tree that matures to about 15 feet tall and almost as wide. It is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as an evergreen hedge in sunny to partially shaded landscape borders. That said, the Banana Shrub will grow well in either sun or shade, assuming a looser more open form when grown in a mostly shade environment. Leaves of Banana Shrub growing in direct, full sun will be a lighter shade of green. Some filtered sun or dappled shade during the mid afternoon hours in summer produces deeper green leaves, which we think is more attractive. It is also useful in home foundation plantings to frame the corners or against an large, open wall. A fine addition to the fragrance or cottage garden. Make sure to plant Banana Shrub where you can enjoy the fragrance of the flowers from up close!
Suggested Spacing: 8 to 10 feet apart for a solid hedge; 20 feet or more apart for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 7b, where the Banana Shrub is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and place back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
The Everblooming Banana Shrub prefers an acid, fertile, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter. It will grow well in either sun or shade, assuming a looser more open form when grown in a mostly shade environment. Leaves of Banana Shrub growing in direct, full sun will be a lighter shade of green. Some filtered sun or dappled shade during the mid afternoon hours in summer produces deeper green leaves, which we think is more attractive. Though listed as hardy in USDA Zones 7-10 the plant may suffer some damage when severe winters occur in Zone 7. It is not particularly fast growing and can be pruned after blooming, but is most impressive when allowed to grow to natural size and shape.
Note: For helpful advice from our experts, click on the Planting & Care Advice tab above on desktop computers or below on mobile devices.
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The size and quality of this plant was very good. The smell of the banana shrub is unbelievably good. I have smelled it in two arboretums from many yards away, and it drew me til I discovered what was making that incredible scent. I put mine in full sun and it did lose a few leaves at first. Now it is recovering and seems to be fine although leaves are not as dark green as I would have expected. I’m wondering if half shade would be better? Very hopeful for a lifetime of great smells from this shrubby tree.—————————————————————–The leaves of Banana Shrubs growing in direct, full sun will be a lighter shade of green. Some filtered sun or dappled shade during the mid afternoon hours in summer produces deeper green leaves. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Great value for money. The plant was fully rooted in, not a recently upsized transplant. Very happy with this purchase.———————————–Thanks so much for the photo! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
Shipped quickly and arrived well packed and looking healthy and beautiful. Very happy that Wilson Brothers made it possible to acquire the everblooming banana magnolia. Looking forward to it thriving at its new home. Thank you!———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I received my order in a timely manner and the trees were in great condition. Their method of packaging is really a great way to keep the plants safe and prevents them from shifting within the box itself. They even marked arrows on the outside of the box to let shippers know the direction to lay the box. I will be a repeat customer in the years to come.———————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The plant arrived in a well packaged and healthy-looking plant. I can’t wait to start smelling the flowers. Thanks.——————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂
I’m in love with this plant.
I bought it last October.
And bloomed in April.
And then blooming now again in September!
I’ve been email exchange before I ordered. Customer service also great.
Packing is great.
Plant I received is great.——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I bought it last October.
And bloomed in April.
And then blooming now again in September!
I’ve been email exchange before I ordered. Customer service also great.
Packing is great.
Plant I received is great.——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
The only thing my mom wanted for mothers day was a banana shrub. Thanks to covid it was impossible to find. So your company notified me when it became available. It was August, but you had some so I crossed my fingers not sure what it would look like. I cannot tell you how happy my mom was. The plant was beautiful. Super healthy and so much bigger than I imagined. I will absolutely order from you again. My mom has told everyone how incredible the plant is. It was more expensive than the same plant I had bought locally a few years ago, but there is no comparison. Beautiful, healthy plant and it was packed so well. You are now my go to for plants, and everyone wants to know where I found it. You will not regret ordering from here I promise.———————————-We are so glad you and your mom are pleased and we hope she enjoys it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
I had previously ordered from Wilson Bros and received the best quality, size and packaged plants of any of the online nurseries I have shopped with. This order arrived healthy, large and in heavy duty packaging that kept the soil in the pot and the leaves on the plant. I’ve never had a Banana shrub and won’t know the long term success for a few years but am confident that if it ever dies it will be my fault. They offer unusual plants not always easily found and supply lots of information to help in decision making. Pricing is competitive to Big Box stores and shipping is fast and free. What more could I ask for?————————————-Hi Donald, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Everblooming Banana Shrub. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the awesome review!!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Plant arrived in excellent condition planted it in a container and it already has new growth!———————————–Hi Mary, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Everblooming Banana Shrub. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Plant arrived in good shape and has sweet smelling flowers already opening. I remembered a neighbor from my childhood having one and wanted to plant my own. Looking forward to watching it grow and produce more and more wonderful smelling flowers.—————————WBG Reply: Hi Patty, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Everblooming Banana Shrub ‘Hagiwara’. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Very healthy plant and the size was as advertised.————————WBG Reply: Hi Michael, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Everblooming Banana Shrub ‘Hagiwara’. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Our 3 gallon banana shrub arrived today and awed that it was in perfect shape—in the pot and best packaging job I have ever seen. It looked like it was on a greenhouse floor when I stood it up! All this and with free shipping. Thanks!———————-WBG Reply: Hi John, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Everblooming Banana Shrub ‘Hagiwara’. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
The banana shrub plants were healthy, well packaged and grown to the right size for the pot’s. They are all growing nicely. The condition of my first order with Wilson Brothers a few months earlier was also excellent and is the reason that I placed a second order. ——————– WBG Reply: Hi Earl – Thanks so much for your review of the Everblooming Bana Shrub and for your compliments! Hope you enjoy it for years to come. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service. – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens



















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