It may sound like it would be hard, but it’s actually pretty easy to propagate banana plants. In this post I’ll guide you through the entire process step by step.
I have two banana plants in my collection that I’ve propagated several times over the years, and I love sharing the babies with friends.
While it’s pretty easy to do, it can take a little sweaty work. But don’t worry, I’ll give you all of my expert tips to make the whole process as simple as possible for you.
Banana Plant Propagation Methods
There are basically two different ways you could propagate a banana plant: by division or, in some cases, from seed.
Most types of bananas are sterile though, and don’t produce seeds. So, in this post, I’m only going to talk about how to divide them.
What Is A Banana Pup?
Banana pups are baby plants that develop around the base of the mother. They’re also called “offshoots”, “suckers”, or “babies”.
Once these offshoots are mature enough, you can remove them and pot them up for new plants.
When To Divide Banana Plants
The best time to propagate your banana plant is in the spring or fall. But before you can divide it, it’s important to ensure that the pup you want to remove has its own roots. Otherwise it probably won’t survive on its own.
To check, gently remove the mother plant from its pot and tease them apart, or dig down far enough to expose the roots of the baby. If you find roots, it’s ready to go. If not, give the pup more time to mature.
How To Propagate Banana Plants Step By Step
Below is a list of everything you’ll need, and the simple steps to follow to safely separate your banana babies from the mother plant.
Expert Tip: Get the new container and soil ready before you remove the pup so you can pot up your baby as quickly as possible, which will help to prevent severe transplant shock.
Supplies Needed
- Potting soil (if planting in a pot)
- Clean container (if planting in a pot)
- Soil scoop or hand trowel (to fill the new container)
- Shovel (if digging in the garden)
- Sterile pair of clippers or a sharp knife
Related Post: The Best Plant Propagation Tools, Equipment & Supplies
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Loosen the rootball – First either slide the entire plant out of its pot or use your shovel to dig around the pup to expose the rootball and the spot where it’s attached to the mother.
Then gently tease apart the roots to untangle it from the mother plant. Try not to break any of the pup’s roots in the process (have patience, this may be a difficult task and can take some time).
Step 2: Cut the pup from the main plant – Once you find the spot where the offshoot is attached to the main plant, use a sharp, sterile pair of clippers or a knife to sever the connection.
Try not to cut off any of the pup’s roots in the process, just sever the connection to the main plant if possible.
Step 3: Free the roots – Once you’ve severed the connection to the mother plant, continue to tease the roots apart, gently working to untangle the baby away from the main rootball until it’s free.
It seems like this step in the propagation process should be super easy, but for a well-established banana plant it will take some effort. So just be patient and take your time.
After you’re done removing the pup, put the mother plant back into its container, repot it into a new one, or simply fill in the hole where the offshoot was if yours is in the ground.
Potting Up Your Baby Banana Plant
Now that you have successfully propagated your banana plant, all that’s left to do is pot up the pup into its own container. I recommend doing this as soon as you can, before your new plant starts wilting.
Use a container roughly twice the size of the offshoot and a general purpose potting soil. Then plant the baby at the same depth it was in the old pot, taking care to cover all the roots as you fill the container with soil.
Give it a good drink of water and place it in a warm location with plenty of bright, indirect light. It might droop for a few days, which is normal. So I recommend keeping it out of full sun and making sure it’s well watered until it perks back up again.
Propagating banana plants by division can take some work, but it’s well worth the effort to multiply your collection or share it with your friends. Just remember to take your time with it, and have patience.
Do you want to learn how to multiply all of your plants? Then my Plant Propagation eBook is for you! It will show all you need to know to get as many new plants as you want from your existing ones. Grab your copy today!
More Posts About Plant Propagation
- Propagating Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines
- How To Propagate Spider Plants
- Propagating Peperomia In Water Or Soil
- How To Propagate Bromeliad Pups
Share your banana plant propagation tips in the comments section below.
Robert Harter says
Which red bananas have pups?
Which red bananas is the most cold hardy?
Amy Andrychowicz says
All types of banana plants will eventually form pups, no matter what color they are. But red varieties aren’t usually very cold hardy. Zone 8 is the coldest some of them can handle, but that depends on the specific type you have. You would have to check the hardiness on the tag to know for sure.
Geoffrey E Hollinden says
I was given a part of a root ball from a friend who was digging up and separating plants. Can I get a plant out of that? If so how?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If it’s just a bunch of roots, then no, it will not grow into a plant. However if your friend properly separated a baby/pup from the mother banana plant (as I describe in the article), then yes, it will grow into a new plant.
Lynn Noreen McNamara says
We are eating our bananas now, giving them to the neighbours too. I was not able to separate the pups, my back just could not stand it. They are huge now as large as the main plants. Will they flower and give bananas like the mother plant?
I am in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura
Have pics of my bananas, they are so sweet, just delicious
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, how cool is that!? Yes, once they reach maturity they should produce bananas just like the mother. However, if they become too overcrowded, it can start to impact the fruit production.
Lynn Noreen McNamara says
Thank you so much, I will really keep my fingers crossed. They are fed by the dirty water system. Everything in that patch is enormous. No rain here of course, well rarely,
I have started to give them a banana feed every so often too. I have never eaten so many bananas in my life. But the canary banana goes caramelised when very ripe, different from other bananas. I was told this a few weeks ago. Did not really know what it meant until now. They are still lovely to eat.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! It’s so cool that they’re giving you so much fruit. 🙂
Dov Osheroff says
We grow fantastic, delicious bananas in Berkeley California. The secret is keeping the ground temperature up (which is what triggers fruiting) and we do this by draining our greywatered bathroom shower to the base of our banana trees. They love the water and they love the warmth and respond with multiple banana flowers every year!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, thanks for your advice and sharing your experience of getting your bananas to grow fruit. How fun!
Denise says
I have a banana plant that had grown to about 5 ft tall and the wind caught it and snapped the top off. Is there any way to “save” it or to start a new one from the stalk or from the bottom part of the plant. There are no pups that I can see.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh bummer, sorry for your loss! I would expect that your banana plant should grow back from the base after a few weeks. Unfortunately, you can’t root banana cuttings from the stem, so you won’t be able to save the top part that broke off. Be patient, and keep caring it as usually do, and eventually new growth should sprout from the base.
James Cobb says
Just leave it and it will keep growing right up through the center where it broke off. Mine grow outside and tend to freeze the tops of the plants. In early spring I’ll cut down to the freeze point. Of course the part cut off would have been the top of the newest leaf and the next layer around that would be the next leaf that would have come out, so the first few leaves to emerge will be less than a full leaf. After that the leaves should start coming out full.
Sharon Smith says
I’m so glad I found your site ! I love gardening ,always have .But now I’m older and really can’t get around too well outdoors . so I’ve went a little wild on the houseplants . But , I’ve been trying different things .Mostly succulents .But also using the internet to find some plants that I had before and couldn’t find any more .such as the mother of thousands and the stapella .probably not spelled right . Anyway I am really looking forward to exploring many of your topics, etc. Thank You !
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! Enjoy your new houseplants. 🙂
Marc says
Excellent info! I got a banana plant this spring when my local nursery had a garage sale, so I got a decent sized plant for just a few dollars.
It does have some pups coming up (didn’t know that is what they are called) and so I’ll have to see in the fall if I can extract them. My wife won’t necessarily be happy having more banana plants as she thought I was a bit crazy to get the first one, especially now that it is getting huge, even in a medium sized container. But as you mentioned, maybe I can give them away to friends.
On another note, do you actually get bananas and what do you do in winter to protect the plants?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great score on the banana plant at a garage sale, how fun! Good luck propagating it. My banana plant is just ornamental, and has never gotten bananas. Our growing season is much too short here in MN for that. I’ve heard of people getting bananas when they grow their plants in a greenhouse though. I overwinter my plant inside as a houseplant.
Marc says
Thanks for the reply. I will be keeping it in my unheated greenhouse over winter in Zone 8a, so it will have a longer growing season than being outside. Right now I have it on my second floor deck as it is still too short and the leaves take up a lot of room in the greenhouse. Once it grows taller, the leaves will be above our heads, which should then be better. Or I need to build a larger greenhouse!
James Cobb says
I live in deep south Louisiana and made 3 large stalks of bananas a couple of seasons ago, but not since. And they were absolutely the best bananas I have ever eaten, by a long shot. We had a bad winter the one before last and all my fruit trees have acted differently since then, but the bananas have come back beautifully. I have loads of pups, both full size trees and dwarfs, several different varieties. From what I’ve been reading and have experienced, it seems they need to grow at least a second season without any sort of winter damage. Some years here it doesn’t freeze at all, but I’m going to pot some of mine this fall and bring them in. I have a huge tall patio that I wrap and heat and fill with all sorts of plants. I’ll plant them back out in early spring. I’m going to keep trying different things until I can get bananas on a regular basis.
Geoffrey E Hollinden says
I’m curious, how do you wrap your patio? I’d be interested in trying that
Kim says
When is the best time of year to divide banana plants? I have a cluster out by our pool and they have been ignored for who knows how many years and are too big/too many for their spot.
Amy Andrychowicz says
The best time of year for dividing banana plants is in either the fall or the spring.
arie djati says
Thank you for the information. I am very pleased with the steps in progress multiply the banana tree
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great! You’re welcome, good luck propagating your banana plants!
Mike Lannom says
It’s always amazing to see banana trees with full fruit on trees in December here in Nashville, but the do even though it is indoor under glass! Opryland hotel has several trees in their conservatories. They are large and hard to miss!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, that’s very cool! I highly doubt mine will grow bananas here in MN, but that would be awesome if they did. 🙂
Amy
Amy Andrychowicz says
@gardentiki – Thanks, I'm glad you find this helpful!! I believe the Blood Banana is ornamental, but I live in MN and grow these inside most of the year… so I suppose all types of bananas would just be ornamental here! 🙂 I would be shocked if they ever set fruit, but very excited!
gardentiki says
I've read a few descriptions for how to propagate them, but it's nice to see pictures included as well. We just got two Bananas and plan to get more so it's good to be prepared.I like the look of the Blood Banana. Is it ornamental?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks PlantPostings! The pups are looking great, I think they will survive just fine. Woohoo!
PlantPostings says
I love the step-by-step description and detailed banana propagation photos. This is a very useful post! Good luck with the new "pups"!