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As the weather turns chilly, tropical gardeners keep posting photos of beautiful blooms and arching greenery. Zone envy rears its head. If only I could grow gingers, and plumerias, and citrus trees, and… and bananas! Living in temperate zone 6, I saw no way for that to happen without a major move. Then I read a Midwestern DGer’s account of growing dozens of banana plants in his yard, digging them each fall and storing them beneath his house [1]. Visions of tropical splendor started dancing in my head!
You don’t need a greenhouse or a conservatory to grow bananas and other tropicals north of zone 8. You do need a strong back and a willing shovel! I’ve been growing bananas in my Maryland garden for the past two years. It’s an adventure that’s worth a try.
Growing Banana Plants
Bananas are technically plants, not trees, despite their size. Two years ago, I ordered cute 6 inch plants and grew them inside over the winter [2]. After that, the much larger plants were overwintered in the basement. They get planted out when the soil warms up, after Memorial Day. The first banana I planted out this spring promptly blew over. So we devised a system of stakes and ropes for support. My neighbor referred to the result as “bananas in bondage,” but there were no more toppled plants, and they soon outgrew this tattered look. The bananas made a wonderful tropical canopy for a bed that has also included cannas, amaryllis, tropical milkweed, red castor beans, and heliotrope, with spearmint as a ground cover. My “tropicals” bed by the deck draws more exclamations than any other plantings in our yard: “Oh! I didn’t know you could grow bananas here!” When I explain about dragging them to the basement every winter, the usual reaction is that I am bananas.
In terms of landscaping, I think it’s important to choose a location for your bananas that is visually separate from the less tropical looking areas of your garden. A banana tree poking up from a bed of daisies looks odd. Pick an architectural focal point such as a patio, deck, bench, or bird bath, and create your own little tropical oasis. Add other tropical or tropical-looking plants with big, interesting foliage and “hot” colors. The collective impact will knock your socks off!
Overwintering Banana Plants
Bananas must be dug before the first fall frost and overwintered inside, either fully dormant or semi dormant. For full dormancy, cut the stem to remove all but the smallest leaves, and allow the plant to dry for a week before wrapping in burlap and storing at 40 to 50 degrees F [3]. For semi-dormancy, give the plant a little light and very limited water, enough to keep it green but not enough for growth. Last winter, my semi-dormant bananas were potted upright. This winter, they are lying along a basement wall. Some leaves have yellowed, but the plants still look mostly green.
With an uninterrupted growth cycle, bananas should fruit after about 18 months of active growth. I’ve never heard reports of fruit from winter dormant plants, although the plants put up luxurious growth year after year when planted out. I had a notion that perhaps semi-dormant winter storage would put the fruiting cycle on “pause” rather than resetting it. My faint hope is that if the plant keeps its leaves over the winter, even if it doesn’t continue to grow, it might produce fruit after several years. Time will tell. Accordingly, last fall I dug up the bananas, and we dragged them down to the basement. I set them upright in giant tubs of potting mix, near a bright window. They were watered every couple of weeks, stayed green, and did not grow for several months. But in late winter, they got delusional. They put up new leaves. I cut back their water. They grew up between the rafters and wrapped their long leaves around the ductwork. Halfway through extricating the first plant in spring, I decided we would not ever do this again.
This winter, there will be no leaves trying to grow up through the rafters. The roots and corms have been loosely bagged in plastic, and the plants are lying on their sides in a bright corner of the basement. I did this with one banana last year, misting the roots with a tiny bit of water occasionally to keep them from drying out completely, and that seemed to work fine.
Dividing Banana Plants
As banana plants mature, they produce small offshoots, known as “pups,” around the base of the stem. Digging the plant for winter storage gives you a good opportunity to separate the pups. Brush away or hose off as much dirt as possible so you can see what you’re doing. A pup must have several roots attached to survive, so plan the division carefully. The directions I’ve read say to use a sharp knife to separate the pup by cutting into the main corm at an angle. I’ve found it easier to get a good grip on the base of the pup and bend it away from the mother plant until I can break it away. This takes a little nerve, as you want to be sure you are snapping the corm to make the separation and not the tender stem of the pup.
I separated several pups again this fall and potted them up to continue growing over the winter in my dining room window. I think of this as “insurance” in case my semi-dormant storage methods don’t work out. If they all survive, I’ll have extra banana plants to give away in spring.
When they fruit, I’ll feel my efforts have been repaid a thousand times over.
Until then, I’d better continue enjoying them just as fun foliage plants.
Go, Bananas!
[1] Many thanks to Tropicman for sharing his expertise. He has inspired me and others to grow bananas where no bananas have grown before! Check out the Tropical Fruits Forum (subscribers only) for more information on growing bananas in all parts of the country.
[3] You'll find specific advice from Tropicman on the thread that first inspired me, "Banana tree harvest." More good tips on overwintering bananas and more can be found at bananas.org
About Jill M. Nicolaus
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill gardens in Frederick, MD. This week, I've been cutting lavender, putting up pluots (plum-apricot fruits), and pulling weeds (always, LOL). I love being outside in the cooler morning -- coffee cup in one hand, watering hose in the other -- watching the birds and butterflies among the flowers.(Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Posted by rsantiago (from Lexington Park, MD) on May 1, 2008 at 9:05 PM:
Great to know we can go bananas here in MD. Just in case you didn't know, though they can't bare fruit due to weather, you can use the leaves. Use them to layer your baked fish, steam cakes or yet create a tropical buffet using leaves as table cover. Asian has many use of banana leaves. Try it you might like the flavor.
With that, I want to acquire a plant. Any of you selling some of your bananas? Enjoy your gardening.
Best regards,
Rita
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on May 1, 2008 at 10:46 PM:
That's a great idea to use the leaves in cooking!
My big plants went pretty brown-dormant in the basement this year. If they don't green up when I plant them out, then I'll need to fall back on the pups that I overwintered in the dining room. But if they're OK as I hope, then I'll have an extra pup or two. I've never sold plants, but I'm willing to trade. :-)
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Subject: BANANA PLANTS
Posted by billybob42402 (from Baskett, KY) on February 13, 2008 at 1:55 PM:
I GROW BANANA PLANTS IN KY. DO NOT DIG FOR WINTER. JUST MULCH HEAVY.
HAVE MADE IT IN ZERO WEATHER. WILL NEVER BEAR BUT THE PLANT IS GREAT
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 13, 2008 at 1:57 PM:
Good to know! One of these years, we may just dig up a couple of pups and put down mulch around the big ones to let them take their chances...
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Subject: I am in zone 8b or 9 recently
Posted by hellnzn11 (from Rosamond, CA) on February 5, 2008 at 5:18 PM:
I love that Jill. Here in the high Desert we should be able to grow them but you never see it, the nights in the winter are brutal, last year we broke records in the single digits and had a few 11's. Normally our nights in Jan.-March or later are 29 to 35 deg.
Are their varieties that you think may do better at thoses temps or would I also need to dig them up?
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 5, 2008 at 5:36 PM:
Dawn, I'm not the person to advise you about those zones... but I think you'd have to provide the plants with protection during cold snaps. Maybe there are some folks from your region hanging out in the tropical fruit forum...
There are "hardy" bananas, but they don't produce edible fruit.
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Posted by hellnzn11 (from Rosamond, CA) on February 7, 2008 at 2:22 PM:
I do not care about banana, I like the size and foliage. I have never seen them here.
Maybe Rebecca will know, she talked about bananas where she lives and they get cold and snowy there in Oregon where she lives, she may know what varieties are cold hardy. I'd rather not dig them out if possible but I could still do it. I'd be better off in a raised bed though so it would dig out easily. I have such hard pan baked clay.
How many varieties do you grow Jill?
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 7, 2008 at 3:05 PM:
I've got 'Ice Cream' and 'Apple' bananas and an unknown variety that's definitely not "Dwarf" Orinocco -- it's the tallest of the bunch, LOL! We just did a little mini co-op order in conjunction with the upcoming DG gathering at my place, and I've got a Dwarf Red banana on the way... since I'll be able to grow that one year round with no dormant period (it fits in an upstairs sunny window and will just stay potted up), I'm even more hopeful about seeing fruit from it!
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Posted by hellnzn11 (from Rosamond, CA) on February 8, 2008 at 2:46 PM:
that is so cool Jill. Have you used the MIGHTY MESSENGER stuff for seeds? A DG friend of mine seedtosser sent me some since I couldn't get in on the co op at the time.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 8, 2008 at 5:47 PM:
I have a couple of packets... maybe I'll give them a try this year... on seeds, though?
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Posted by hellnzn11 (from Rosamond, CA) on February 8, 2008 at 7:13 PM:
Oh it was another friend not seed that sent it but I was thinking once the seed starts and who knows if added to water maybe it would germanate quicker or aid in it appearing. I don't know much about it.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 8, 2008 at 8:40 PM:
I think it's more for plants than for use on seeds... save it for when you put them outside and they need a boost! Maybe somebody who knows more will come along and tell us when to break out our sample packets...
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Posted by hellnzn11 (from Rosamond, CA) on February 8, 2008 at 11:53 PM:
Yes. I am going to start mine outdoors from the get go in a sheltered spot with good morning sun. If I put them under my bedroom window they will get sun in the afternoon too. Just may buy a bale of hay for my bale garden early and shelter the bottles more. Kind of insulation between a wall and the bale/bales.
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Subject: from your mouth to my ears...
Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 4, 2008 at 10:11 AM:
Hi Jill! long time, huh! Just read 2 of your articles- how inspiring you are! I just wanted to let you know that if you don't have luck wintering that salvia 'black and blue', you just let me know, as I am storing twice the number as last winter, and I'm afraid, given the success last year, I may just be over-run, even though the new greenhouse is fully functional! So many plants.... and where to put them? oh, the quandries of the gardener in all of us! Happy sowing!!!!! ~Trudy
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 4, 2008 at 11:46 AM:
Thanks, Trudy! Your salvia is in a pot, looking very dormant (eg, "dead" LOL) at the moment. I splashed half a cup of water on it just yesterday. I plan to put it in the sunny window in a month and get more generous with the water... and then I should know... But you know I'm always happy to do a little trade if you're "overrun"... we'll talk! :-)
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Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 4, 2008 at 2:54 PM:
I will let you know.... If you are interested, depending on storage survival, I might even have some dahlias!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM:
I might try dwarf ones again sometime, but I'm pretty sure tall dahlias just hate me, or maybe I don't put enough time into fussing with them... Cannas, I am having better luck with! :-)
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Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 5, 2008 at 1:57 PM:
Dahlias are EASY!!!!! low nitro fertilizer, early start(March), plant out,(full sun if possible) slam in a big stake, tie as needed... alot less sweat than those fussy bananas!!! LOL ;^)~ I plant about 85 per year, and deal with them all summer....
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 5, 2008 at 2:22 PM:
Hmm, I see a possible use for those "bondage" stakes the bananas need when they're first planted out in spring...
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Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 8, 2008 at 8:13 AM:
bondage is a good thing- the dahlias seem to enjoy it!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 8, 2008 at 9:33 AM:
Somehow, that sounds worse than "bananas in bondage"... let's not go any further with that one! But I think part of my error with my first set of doomed dahlias was not staking them... and putting them in a windy spot... in a container with insufficient drainage... *hangs head in shame* You may not want to entrust any dahlias to me!
My "new" tropical for this year is caladiums. I'm trying a few clumps of them around the bananas, and if they like it I'll probably order more of them next year.
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Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 11, 2008 at 11:54 AM:
So, I meant to ask you- How did that 'high class' Salvia 'black n blue' do for you? I had a very large stand of them in my garden this past year, and found that the ones that I over-wintered performed much better and were much larger than those from seed- in fact, mine were an easy 18" taller, standing at 4 1/2 feet, and went nicely with the coral colored 5' Dahlias and white lilies. very pretty. Also very nice were my Salvia patens 'Cambridge blue' with the Agastache 'aprict sprite'. I wish I'd taken some photos of more than the bees and butterflies!!!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 11, 2008 at 12:00 PM:
It did very nicely! I didn't have much luck catching seeds before they fell, but maybe I'll get a few volunteers. Mine was only about 2 feet high, but it was a really dry summer, and even with the soaker hose running past it I'm thinking it would have appreciated a little more water.
The blooms on it were really a treat, but I didn't manage to get a photo that did justice to them at all. I've got a better camera for macros now, so hopefully I'll get some good shots of it this year.
:-)
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Posted by mainegrdner (from Mariaville, ME) on February 13, 2008 at 10:59 AM:
That's a good start, I do find that they look much better in groupings to get a real bang, so they don't look lost and alone- keep that in mind, I'll be checking mine in cold storage in the next week or so, at which time I'll have a better Idea what I have for extras. I got a motherload of seeds for annuals and perennials yesterday from the Rockefeller Greenhouse, all leftover from last year; The retail would have to be in the $700 range- I'm so excited!! I'll be growing a big crop for a plant sale in the spring to benefeit the local food pantry- It sure will help keep my cost down!!! There are some new varieties of perennial lobelia that I can't wait to dive into.... for my own use ;-) The count-down is on.... I'll be opening the greenhouse in just 10 days.... oh, the sweet smell of soil.......
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 13, 2008 at 11:15 AM:
Dmail me if you're willing to ship plants for that benefit sale... I know we can't talk about it on this thread. :-)
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Subject: hats off
Posted by Dutchlady1 (from Naples, FL) on January 31, 2008 at 4:35 PM:
From someone in a more tropical climate, hats off to you for your diligent work, and thanks for the interesting and entertaining article.
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Posted by McGlory (from Southeast, NE) on January 31, 2008 at 4:52 PM:
From someone in a not-so-tropical climate, thank you so much for the inspiration! What a great read! I'm afraid our wind will whip the leaves to shreds though, so I'm not going to try one. You can send me pictures anytime you want though! They were great!
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Subject: Musa sikkimensis pic
Posted by kudrick (from Fallston, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 1:24 PM:
i found a pic of this beauty. this was her first year with me and she grew to about 7 or eight feet. the large fronds are flecked with red. very pretty.
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Subject: Growing Palms in Maryland Pics
Posted by kudrick (from Fallston, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 11:17 AM:
oops, forgot to add this pic.
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Subject: I am so in love!
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on January 31, 2008 at 11:13 AM:
WOW, I didn't know you could grow bananas in Maryland! LOL I gotta have me some of those, I could over winter in the unheated garage. Oh I'm so excited, DH may not be, but he'll get over it. LOL
Thanks so much for the information, Jill. This is great!!!!!
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Posted by cathy4 (from St. Louis County, MO) on January 31, 2008 at 2:59 PM:
A man near my house has bananas ALL over his yard, he is a bit bananas. Our houses are small, I can't imagine where he stores them in the winter.
BUT now I want one.... or two, hmmmm, maybe three, heehee.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 3:10 PM:
Go for it!
:-)
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Subject: Growing Palms in Maryland
Posted by kudrick (from Fallston, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 11:11 AM:
jill, i grow musa basjoo here in fallston, md (zone 6b) and they do well in the ground over the winter. i also have many types of trachycarpus, which remain green all year round. check out [HYPERLINK@www.hardytropicals.com] they have a good selection of palms and bananas, and i have found them very good to deal with.
here is a pic of a musa basjoo, with a trachycarpus fortuneii ( taylor form ) in the foreground.
This message was edited Jan 31, 2008 10:19 AM
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 11:50 AM:
Wonderful! I appreciate the link, too... always good to have a recommended source!
That little basjoo is adorable. When was the photo taken?
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Posted by kudrick (from Fallston, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 12:20 PM:
it was taken july 10, 2007. they get a little bigger each year; unfortunately, i do not get full sun anwhere. i planted a musa sikkemensis last year, but i'll have to wait til spring to see if it survived. it was very big and beautiful! i bought it from hardytropicals.com
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Subject: Love those bananas
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on January 31, 2008 at 9:29 AM:
Jill, the idea of tropicals in the North fascinates me. I am another zone 6'er. But digging/storing is a challenge for me and I have dahlias frozen in the ground to prove it. Have you tried any hardy bananas? I just bought seed for Musa sikkimensis (Darjeeling banana) and Musella lasiocarpa (Chinese dwarf banana) that are supposedly hardy to "at least" zone 6 with winter mulching, much like M. basjoo. My idea is much the same as yours...an oasis with large leaves, tropical colors (fuschia, blazing orange, bright purple, chartruese), maybe even some cannas in pots.
Thanks for the wonderful article. You are an inspiration! wish me luck...jan
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 9:36 AM:
Good luck! I think hardy bananas are a wonderful idea, and I may switch to them someday... I have this delusion that my bananas could produce fruit, so I wanted delectable, edible varieties. If/when I give up that dream, or when we just can't haul those babies to the basement each winter, hardy bananas may replace them.
I'm no expert on cannas, but I'm wondering if you couldn't plant them in plastic pots, maybe even mesh ones or pots with lots of big holes drilled into the bottom and sides... then you could plunge the plastic pots into large containers or even into your bed. That would help keep them well watered (smaller containers are easier to handle but always dry out faster on me) but still make it simple to "lift" them in fall. People do this with plumerias...
Have fun with your new oasis!
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Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on January 31, 2008 at 10:09 AM:
Jill, hope this isn't getting boring for you, but here's another of your articles I really enjoyed! Isn't it cool that plant addiction is paying off for you?
Also, good thought on the cannas and plumies in plastic, then large pot. I keep looking at containers but they are so hard to keep watered for me.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on January 31, 2008 at 10:42 AM:
Sweetie,
Quoted:
When they fruit, I’ll feel my efforts have been repaid a thousand times over.
Don't you mean IF they fruit? Neither of us have the energy for that kind of endeavor - and there are no strong backs in the family. Best of luck! x, Carrie
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 10:49 AM:
Hey, allow me my optimism! It could happen! :-)
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on January 31, 2008 at 10:53 AM:
Thanks, Jill. I had the same thought on the bananas. I know they won't have any edible fruit, and I hope you do get some, but I can get good bananas at the grocery store, even in January. I just want to boggle the neighbors minds LOL
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on January 31, 2008 at 10:54 AM:
It could, yes. Can I come for breakfast (bananas on my cereal) that day? xxxxx, C
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Posted by adinamiti (from Bucuresti
(Romania)) on January 31, 2008 at 2:45 PM:
Jill, that is so cool, love your article and you just gave me an idea! I don't know if anyone grows bananas in Romania, but I sure would love to try!
Adina
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Subject: Honorable mentions
Posted by Tropicman (from Wichita, KS) on January 31, 2008 at 7:02 AM:
Jill,
Thanks for the kind words,I enjoyed reading your article.
Great info for people who always wanted to grow bananas and tropicals,but were reluctant to for the zone they live in.
Your dead on information might enable others to go ahead and give bananas a try!
Thanks once again
Tropicman,
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 9:31 AM:
"dead on information"
*whew!*
Thanks, Tropicman! The bananas are an ongoing adventure, and I'm gaining confidence. I've been branching out, trying to store a few dormant cannas and other "tender" plants in the basement this winter... Corkscrew Vine (V. caracalla), Salvia 'Black & Blue', Lemon Verbena, Pineapple Sage, Lantana, Tropical Milkweed (A. curassavica)... It's a leap of faith, and I'm sure they won't all "come back from the dead" (most are completely dormant), but those that do will have me doing the happy dance!
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 9:36 AM:
Fantastic article and information Jill. We've been thinking about doing this....now we will :)
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Posted by tmbolin (from crossville, TN) on January 31, 2008 at 2:21 PM:
Love it Jill. Great info and I think it might just catch on!
Tina
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Posted by oriole (from Mifflintown, PA) on January 31, 2008 at 2:34 PM:
Thanks for great article. I grow in Pa. and have had bananas 3 yrs, hit or miss. I to got my inspiration from T.
I am trying something new this yr. I have them stored in a crawl space. I potted a couple pups,just in case it dosnt plan out.
Dixie
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Posted by Tropicman (from Wichita, KS) on January 31, 2008 at 6:35 PM:
Jill,I tried to overwinter the corkscrew vine,I kept one growing in the greenhouse,and let one go dormant,the one kept growing really took off and grew quite well,until about March,then keeled over for no apparent reason that I know,I wondered if it was because I never fed it all winter long!
The dormant started to come back,but it seemed every new stalk or vine was weaker than the first one,I might just have kept to wet when it still was very cool outside.
Hope yo have better luck than me.
Don
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 7:17 PM:
I've never deliberately let one go dormant before... but I've had them die back over the winter after spider mite attacks, etc... and just when I'd given it up for dead, a new sprout would appear! So we'll see.
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Posted by Robynznest (from Stoutland, MO) on January 31, 2008 at 7:43 PM:
Fantastic article, Critter. Between you and Tropicman, I have finally decided to grow bananas and other Tropicals. School is never over for most of us and when the teachers, like the two of you, are learners too it makes the lessons so much more special. Thanks.
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Posted by Tropicman (from Wichita, KS) on January 31, 2008 at 11:34 PM:
Best experience is just to do it!
After a couple failures and winners,it's all down here from there!!!LOL
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Posted by Robynznest (from Stoutland, MO) on January 31, 2008 at 11:52 PM:
I'm going to do it, I think I'm going to do the dwarf for the naners. And maybe the hardy for outside.
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Posted by Tropicman (from Wichita, KS) on January 31, 2008 at 11:54 PM:
You'll do just fine with those choices,good luck!
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 31, 2008 at 11:58 PM:
You know I'll be cheering on all these new endeavors! :-)
I'm hosting a DG gathering next month, and now people are talking about splitting an order from Wellspring. Depending on how their winter shipping works, we'll distribute the plants at next month's party or at our spring swap... You know if everybody else is getting a dwarf banana, I "need" one too! LOL
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Posted by Robynznest (from Stoutland, MO) on February 1, 2008 at 12:00 AM:
I figure since I don't have a greenhouse and I will have to have it in the house a dwarf would work better even if it spreads out. Besides that was the only way I could get my dh to agree to get something like that.
I separated several pups again this fall and potted them up to continue growing over the winter in my dining room window. I think of this as “insurance” in case my semi-dormant storage methods don’t work out. If they all survive, I’ll have extra banana plants to give away in spring. 
[1] Many thanks to Tropicman for sharing his expertise. He has inspired me and others to grow bananas where no bananas have grown before! Check out the Tropical Fruits Forum (subscribers only) for more information on growing bananas in all parts of the country. 
You don’t need a greenhouse or a conservatory to grow bananas and other tropicals north of zone 8. You do need a strong back and a willing shovel! I’ve been growing bananas in my Maryland garden for the past two years. It’s an adventure that’s worth a try.
