Musa basjoo (Musa japonica)

Plant native to Japan, with a branched green stem that later turns light brown. Leaves are arched, elongated, and up to 3 meters long, bright green in color, which may dry out during very harsh winters but quickly regrow in spring. It blooms in summer with clusters of yellow-white flowers wrapped in pink-red bracts. It fruits only in its natural habitat or in greenhouses, producing bananas. If the base is protected with mulch, it can also live in the plains of Northern Italy. Used in gardens to give an exotic touch.