Man left stunned after bananas start growing in his garden - in Hackney

A man has been left stunned after his garden banana tree started producing fruit – in Hackney.

Ripon Ray, 42, said he’d never seen the tree produce fruit before this summer’s heatwave hit.

Since then, his banana tree has started growing the tropical fruit - in East London.

Ripon says he’s not sure what variety of banana it is, and the hobby gardener called the experience "weird".

But he says he thinks he’ll have bananas growing every year going forwards - but says he hasn't eaten any yet and isn't sure if they're plantains or sweet bananas.

Ripon said: “We moved into Hackney over 10 years ago and I bought a banana plant at the time and put it in my garden.

“Every winter I worry it’s going to die - the plant rots right in front of me because the winter is so cold.

“In the last couple of years, it’s survived the harsh conditions and grown bigger and bigger.

“The plant doesn’t require much attention".

Ripon, a debt expert, had resigned himself to treating the tree - until this year's scorching temperatures hit.

He said: "I was going through my garden and thinking it was getting too big.

“Then I saw there were bananas growing, there were two bunches of bananas growing on the tree.

“When you think of bananas you think of Asia, Malysia, Singapore or the Caribbean, places with monsoons and tropical weather.

“Obviously thinking about it, global warming is playing a huge part - who would think London is a hub of bananas.

“I’ve never had bananas growing in my garden in my life – it's weird.”

The Royal Horticultural Society website says banana trees don't cope well with British weather and should be brought indoors over winter.

Its website adds: Although banana plants rarely flower or fruit outdoors in the UK, they still make eye-catching foliage plants with their dramatically large, tropical leaves."