My Red Abyssinian Banana Leaves Are Turning Yellow, Droopy & Splitting

Care

• Abyssinian banana is native to tropical East Africa and must be kept moderately moist at all times. Dry plants will exhibit crisp leaf edges and tattering. The plant is extremely fast-growing and requires frequent watering. The plant performs best in full sun but can also be grown in partial shade. The banana needs nitrogen fertilizer to encourage the formation of new, healthy leaves. It will produce new leaves from the center, and the old foliage will yellow and look unsightly until it dries up and falls off. Abyssinian banana produces an inflorescence infrequently, but when it does, the leaves discolor and go limp, and soon the plant dies off.

Frost

• The plant is not frost-tolerant but may die back after a light freeze and resprout in the spring. In colder zones below United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone 9, the plant can be grown indoors or moved inside during cold periods. Abyssinian banana leaves may experience yellowing if the temperature is too cool for them. A brief freeze will cause the leaves to droop and wilt before they finally die back. Sometimes the plant will regrow in the spring in warmer zones if the roots were not damaged.

Water

• Most plants will wilt when they do not get enough water to support the vascular system. Abyssinian banana requires up to 2 inches of water when it is planted in the ground in hot climates. The plant requires organically rich, moist soil at all times that mimics the humus-filled floor of a tropical forest. Insufficient water will retard the growth of new leaves and cause the existing leaves to droop. The edges may also get a bit crispy and split as the lack of moisture makes the leaves dry. When plants are moved indoors in colder climates, water should be reduced by half.

Fungal Disease and Insects.

• Fungal diseases are prevalent in tropical foliage. Fungi favor conditions that are warm and moist, which are also the best growing conditions for tropical plants. Fusarium wilt is a common plant disease caused by a soil-borne fungus. Take care not to splash water onto the leaves, and water slowly so soil doesn't spatter up onto the foliage. Yellow sigatoka is a foliar fungal disease that is found when Abyssinian bananas are grown in cooler areas. Spider mites and aphids are sucking insects whose feeding activities will cause the foliage on the Abyssinian banana to discolor and become droopy. Fungal issues can often be controlled by preventing water on the leaves, but insect issues require insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.