Ensete glaucum, the snow banana, has also been classified as Musa nepalensis, Ensete giganteum, or Ensete wilsonii.
This gigantic monocarpic herbaceous plant is native to China, Nepal, India, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand.
Ensete glaucum has a thick, waxy with sometimes bluish tinge, solitary pseudostem. It grows larger than the Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum).
Its leaves are 1.4–1.8 meters (4.6–5.9 ft) long and 50–60 centimeters (20–24 in) wide.
The plant is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for its unique swollen bulbous base and large leaves. and is used to feed pigs in parts of China.
In India the pulp of the fruit is eaten, considered highly medicinal, and given to infants and patients. Young shoots and a flowering part are eaten as a vegetable. The plant is used in religious and domestic celebrations.
It is easy to raise from seeds. It is an extremely fast growing banana given heat, but not as hardy as the Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum), and is not as well known
It grows from 2,600–8,800 feet (790–2,680 m) in elevation.
The banana tree has a different shape on the stem of the fruit. The fruit stem is covered with green leaves resembling a dragon fruit but with a larger size and extends overhanging the heart of the banana. The heart of the banana is also green, not red like most other types of bananas.
Snow plantain grows in the Himalayas up to an altitude of 3000 meters and is therefore resistant to low temperatures. In principle, this species can tolerate light frosts without shelter. However, if you wrap the plant well in winter in insulating material and give it a sheltered position, it can stay in the garden all year round. It is a fast grower with leaves measuring up to 3 meters and large greenish-white flowers.
Sowing instructions: Sand the seeds, soak for 48 hours in warm water and sow in sowing and cutting compost. Keeping the soil moist, cover with foil or glass and leave to germinate in a warm place. Germination can take several weeks to months.