Bananas for Cool Climates

Bananas for Cool Climates

Growing hardy and semihardy banana (Musa spp.) varieties make a tropical-looking garden a reality in cool and even cold regions. A few varieties will survive winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 and 6. In USDA zones 8 and 9, where winters are mild, your choices of cool-climate bananas expand significantly. Bananas grow in USDA zones 5 through 11, depending on the species.

Cold-Hardy Varieties

Cold-hardy banana varieties have hardy rhizome-type roots that survive even prolonged freezing temperatures. The fleshy top growth, however, dies back when temperatures drop below freezing. Seeing an 8- or even 14-foot-tall banana plant collapse with the first freeze is disconcerting, but when you know it will come back in the spring, just like other perennials, it's easier to let it go.

Japanese Banana

Japanese banana (Musa basjoo), the most cold-tolerant banana, grows in USDA zones 5 to 10. It dies back to the ground in USDA zones 5 through 8. In USDA zone 9, it can grow year-round as an evergreen. Japanese banana grows 6 to 14 feet tall and wide. Grow this ornamental variety for its 2-foot-wide, 6-foot-long leaves rather than the inedible, nonshowy fruits. You may find Japanese banana listed under its alternate common name, hardy fiber banana.

Darjeeling Banana

A fast-growing, cold-tolerant variety, Darjeeling banana (Musa sikkimensis), grows 14 feet tall with an 8- to 10-foot spread. It dies back to the ground when temperatures dip below freezing but will grow back in spring, putting on an impressive 2 feet per week when the growing season gets under way. Darjeeling banana is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 11.

'Orinoco' Banana

In USDA zones 7 to 10, you can grow the banana cultivar 'Orinoco' (Musa 'Orinoco'), a striking 10- to 16-foot-tall variety with bright green, 6-foot-long leaves. In cool, mild climates, such as USDA zones 9 and 10, 'Orinoco' grows year-round and will even produce fruit in the second year. In the colder regions of USDA zones 7 and 8, this cultivar dies back to the ground. It is reliably hardy in USDA zone 8 and can survive in USDA zone 7 as long as the roots are protected.

Semihardy Varieties

In USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9, where winters tend to be mild, you can grow a variety of ornamental and edible bananas. If winter temperatures dip below freezing, the above-ground growth may die back, but new shoots will regrow in the spring.

Rajapuri Banana

A cool-climate variety, Rajapuri banana (Musa 'Rajapuri') is also a good candidate for slightly windy areas because the leaves are less delicate than many other varieties. Rajapuri banana grows 8 to 10 feet tall with a 10- to 15-foot spread and is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 10.

Dwarf Cavendish

'Dwarf Cavendish' (Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish'), hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11, grows 8 to 10 feet tall and will produce edible fruit the second year. This edible ornamental grows well in large patio planters or in a protected sunny spot in the garden.

Blood Banana

Blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina') is a striking ornamental that grows well in cool regions. This dwarf cultivar grows 5 to 6 feet tall. The striking green leaves are splashed with dark red pigment. 'Zebrina' grows in USDA zones 9 through 11.

Flowering Banana

The blue-green leaves of Musa ornata, commonly called flowering banana, gives cool-climate gardens a striking tropical edge. It grows 6 to 9 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide. The orange-yellow and purple flowers bloom seasonally but produce inedible fruit. Flowering banana grows in USDA zones 9 through 11.

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