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Compare Elephant Bush and Banana Tree


Banana Tree and Elephant Bush


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Succulent  
Flowering Plants, Fruits, Herbs  

Origin
Southern Africa  
Australia, Tropical Indomalaya  

Types
Limpopo, Prostrata, Aurea, Medio Picta  
Cavendish Bananas, Lady Finger Bananas, Pisang Raja, Williams Bananas, Cooking Bananas  

Number of Varieties
Not Available  
1000  
12

Habitat
Dry areas, Lower slopes, Rocky areas  
Subtropical climates, Tropical rainforest, Tropical regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12  
8-15  

AHS Heat Zone
10-1  
12-6  

Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
H1, H2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Twisted/Contorted  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
250.00 cm  
99+
16.08 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
121.00 cm  
99+
7.87 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Pink  
Burgandy, Ivory, Purple, White, Yellow  

Flower Color Modifier
Not Available  
Not Available  

Fruit Color
Green, Red  
Red, Yellow, Yellow Brown, Yellow green  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green  
Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green  
Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Green  
Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Succulent  
Cone shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Fall, Spring, Summer  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial shade  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loamy  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral, Slightly Acidic  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Late Spring  
Early Fall, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Heat Tolerance  
Not Available  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting  
From bulbs  

Plant Maintenance
Low  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Needs less watering  
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, It cannot sustain wet-feet, Requires regular watering, Water every two or three days during warmer months  

In Summer
Ample Water  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Less Watering  
Moderate  

In Winter
Less Watering  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral, Slightly Acidic  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loamy  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial shade  

Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  
Prune after harvesting, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring, Fertilize late winter  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free  
Anthracnose, Banana aphid, Banana mosaic, Black sigatoka, Bunchy top, Cigar end rot, Coconut scale, Moko disease, Panama disease, Rhizome rot, Yellow sigatoka  

Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Heat Tolerance  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Yes  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Bold  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
Yes  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
No  

Attracts
Butterflies  
Not Available  

Allergy
Not Available  
Anaphylaxis, Mouth itching, Throat itching  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Showy Purposes  
Not Available  

Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Improve skin condition, Skin cleanser, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation, Skin Problems  
Not Available  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification, Erosion control, Food for birds, Indoor Air Purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Dehydration, Diabetes, Skin Disorders, Skin irritation, Sore throat  
Anemia, Antioxidants, Bronchitis, Diarrhea, Hangover, Heartburn, High blood pressure, Kidney problems, Menstrual Disorders  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Stem  
Flowers, Fruits  

Other Uses
Animal Feed, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in salads  
Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used As Food, Used in paper industry  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical  
Showy Tree  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
PORTULACARIA afra  
Banana Tree  

Common Name
Porkbush, Dwarf jade plant, Spekboom  
Banana Tree  

In Hindi
Elephant Bush  
केले के पेड़  

In German
Elephant Bush  
Bananenbaum  

In French
Elephant Bush  
Bananier  

In Spanish
elefante Bush  
Banano  

In Greek
ελέφαντας Μπους  
μπανανιά  

In Portuguese
elefante de Bush  
árvore de banana  

In Polish
Elephant Bush  
Banana drzewa  

In Latin
bush elephant  
Musa sapientum fixa ligno  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Embryophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Liliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Zingiberales  

Family
Portulacaceae  
Not Available  

Genus
Portulacaria  
Musa  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Monocotyledonous  

Tribe
Not Available  
Not Available  

Subfamily
Portulacarioideae  
Not Available  

Number of Species
Not Available  
100  
99+

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Difference Between Elephant Bush and Banana Tree

If you are confused whether Elephant Bush or Banana Tree are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Elephant Bush and Banana Tree Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Elephant Bush are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring and Fertilize late winter, whereas for Banana Tree fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Elephant Bush and Banana Tree if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Elephant Bush and Banana Tree

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Bush and Banana Tree. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Bush and Banana Tree as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Elephant Bush is Dehydration, Diabetes, Skin Disorders, Skin irritation and Sore throat whereas of Banana Tree is Anemia, Antioxidants, Bronchitis, Diarrhea, Hangover, Heartburn, High blood pressure, Kidney problems and Menstrual Disorders. Elephant Bush has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin, Improve skin condition, Skin cleanser, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation and Skin Problems while Banana Tree has beauty benefits as follows: Good for skin, Improve skin condition, Skin cleanser, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation and Skin Problems.

Compare Facts of Elephant Bush vs Banana Tree

How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Elephant Bush vs Banana Tree and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Elephant Bush are Not Available whereas of Banana Tree have Anaphylaxis, Mouth itching and Throat itching respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Bush has no showy fruits and Banana Tree has showy fruits. Also Elephant Bush is not flowering and Banana Tree is flowering. You can compare Elephant Bush and Banana Tree facts and facts of other plants too.

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