Banana Plant

Other cultivars may bear red fruits, and some produce finger-sized fruit. They are grown most typically in zone 10, as they are considered a tropical plant.

There are also ornamental varieties that are cold hardy to -20 degrees, which make attractive tropical plants for both indoor and outdoor use.

How to Grow

Banana plants require a light soil with good drainage. Mix perlite to aid in drainage. Soil from your garden or regular potting soils are too heavy.

Plant them ten to fifteen inches apart to provide room for growth and plenty of circulation between the plants.

The banana plant starts as a rhizome. It should be placed upright in the soil, with the roots and top of the plant covered by at least ½ inch of soil.

Water well and use a balanced fertilizer. Allow the soil to dry to ½ inch deep before watering again.

Most varieties of banana plants require a minimum of twelve hours of bright light and temperatures in the 80's daytime and high 60's overnight.

Humidity above 50% is preferred, as dry air will kill the leaves. If growing the plant in a pot, use a small pot, no larger than eight inches with good drainage.

As the plant grows, prune off all but 2 suckers from the base, to allow vigorous growth. These stems will fruit, and then die and new suckers will be produced to replace them.

Varieties of Banana Plants

The banana plant, musa acuminata, is a perennial that can grow to heights of 25 feet.

It bears the yellow fruit we are familiar with. It grows best in zone 10, requiring tropical conditions.

Musa Basjoo, or Japanese fiber banana, grows to 10 feet in height, but bears inedible fruit. It is cold hardy to-20 degrees Fahrenheit when mulched to retain warmth.

Musella lasiocarpa, otherwise known as the Chinese yellow banana, is a small plant, only growing to a height of six feet. This is an ornamental plant that has beautiful leaves and lotus-like yellow flowers.

Musa sikkimensis, the Darjeeling banana, is cold hardy to -20 with proper mulching. It grows to 14 feet, and bears attractive purple and maroon variegated leaves. It produces a sweet, seedy fruit.

Whether growing for the fruit in tropical areas, growing cold-hardy non-fruit bearers, or planting for ornamental purposes only, growing banana plants provide attractive additions to the home garden.