Bananas are a versatile plant in any landscape. Bananas can add a lush, tropical look to any area. Although everyone knows the fruit, few people have experience growing the plant. Bananas are suitable for all climates given the appropriate care. They have large, exotic tropical leaves and can grow from a few feet tall to nearly 40 feet (12m), depending on the variety. The fruits are delicious ripe from the plant or can be shipped great distances; some varieties must be cooked before eaten. Other varieties are strictly ornamental. Banana plants are fast growing, generally putting out one new leaf once a week. Banana plants can either form clumps by suckering or they can remain solitary, like the popular Ensete maurelii.