michelia gracipes tree

Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

Discover the exceptional beauty and perfumed blooms of the Michelia gracipes tree, an enchanting choice for New Zealand gardens. Also known as the banana shrub due to its deliciously scented flowers, Michelia gracipes is cherished for its lustrous evergreen leaves, compact size, and captivating floral display. From spring through to autumn, this elegant small tree adds structure and year-round interest, making it perfect for urban backyards, subtropical borders, and formal plantings alike.

Michelia gracipes

5

Michelia gracipes, commonly known as the Banana Shrub, is a compact evergreen shrub prized for its glossy foliage and highly fragrant, creamy-yellow flowers that emit a sweet banana scent. Blooming in spring and summer, it adds both ornamental beauty and perfume to the garden. Ideal for borders, containers, or formal hedging, it thrives in full sun to part shade with well-drained soil. This low-maintenance plant is a superb choice for sheltered gardens across New Zealand.

Buy Michelia gracipes

From $33.68

A fabuous Michelia gracipes pleached hedge with lush green foliage and masses of cream-white flowers.

Suited to regions:
Subtropical, Temperate
Plant type:
Trees
Height:
4.00 m
Spread:
3.00 m
Flowering time:
Spring, Winter
Garden uses:
Hedging, Living areas, Parks, Pool areas, Screening, Specimen
Garden styles:
Backyard, City & Courtyard, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, White

More species and varieties of Michelia

Popular Evergreen Trees

Did you find what you are looking for?

You might be interested in exploring Michelia or Evergreen Trees.

Search Michelia gracipes

At a Glance: Michelia Gracipes Tree

Michelia gracipes is a member of the magnolia family and has become a sought-after ornamental for its manageable size (reaching around 2–3 metres tall), neat upright habit, and glossy, aromatic foliage. In spring and summer, it produces a flush of creamy-white, cup-shaped flowers with a delightful banana-like fragrance, inviting both garden admirers and pollinators.

Gardeners treasure the Michelia gracipes tree for its versatility. Whether featured as a patio specimen, used for screening, or planted alongside complementary species such as Michelia Coco or Michelia Mixed up Miss, this graceful tree brings a touch of luxury to Kiwi gardens.

Planting and Care Tips

The Michelia gracipes tree thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic soil and enjoys a sheltered spot with partial shade to full sun. Consider underplanting with shade-loving perennials to complete the look. To keep your tree looking its best, mulch annually, water regularly during dry spells, and provide some protection from harsh winds. This hardy Michelia is relatively low-maintenance once established and benefits from a light prune after flowering to encourage dense growth.

Design Ideas and Companions

For a layered, scent-filled planting scheme, group the Michelia gracipes tree with other exceptional Michelia selections, such as Michelia Bubbles, famed for its scented creamy-yellow blooms, or the striking Michelia doltsopa Silver Cloud, with its large, starry white flowers. Curate your own private sanctuary by combining Michelia gracipes with the soft pink tones of Michelia Touch of Pink, or add textural contrast with bold species like Acer rubrum, Syzygium australe, or the dramatic Xanthorrhoea australis (Blackboy).

Why Choose Michelia Gracipes?

The Michelia gracipes tree is ideal for compact spaces, fragrant gardens, or as a feature plant near outdoor living areas, where its perfume can be best enjoyed. It’s also well-suited to container growing on sheltered patios. For those looking to enrich a garden with year-round interest and sweet scent, few plants can rival the Michelia gracipes.

If you love the timeless beauty of Michelia and Magnolia varieties, don’t miss marvels like Magnolia Iolanthe, or the stately Eugenia jambolana (Java Plum), each offering their own unique charms.

Explore our range and let the Michelia gracipes tree transform your New Zealand garden into a haven of fragrance and style.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.