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Size Matters: Choosing the Right Banana Plant for Your Landscape

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When it comes to adding a bold tropical look to your garden few plants make a statement quite like banana plants. With their huge, paddle-shaped leaves and exotic flowers, banana plants are sure to turn heads in your landscape. However, not all banana plants are created equal when it comes to size. Choosing the right size banana plant for your specific needs and space is crucial. In this article, we’ll go over the factors to consider when selecting a banana plant, the best banana plant species for landscape use, and how to care for your banana plant so it thrives.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Banana Plant

When deciding which banana plant is right for you the first thing to consider is the amount of space you have available. Banana plants range hugely in potential size depending on species and cultivar. Dwarf banana plants may reach only 4-6 feet tall while the largest banana species can exceed 40 feet in height!

You’ll also want to think about your USDA hardiness zone. While no banana species are fully cold hardy, some are more tolerant of cool temperatures than others. If you live in Zone 7 or below, look for more cold tolerant varieties.

The overall look you want to achieve should also guide your choice. Compact, dwarf varieties work well in containers and smaller spaces, while larger banana plants make dramatic specimen plants. Plants with colorful or variegated leaves add extra visual interest.

And don’t forget your lighting conditions. Most banana plants need full sun, but variegated varieties may need some afternoon shade in hot climates to prevent leaf scorching.

Best Banana Species for Landscape Use

Here are some of the best banana species to consider for landscape plantings:

Dwarf Cavendish Banana

A compact cultivar of the common Cavendish banana, Dwarf Cavendish grows just 4-6 feet tall and wide. Its small size makes it ideal for containers. This fast-growing variety can produce sweet, edible (but seedless) fruit in frost-free climates. Dwarf Cavendish bananas need rich soil, frequent watering, and temperatures above 60°F. Plants are cold hardy to Zone 10.

Japanese Fiber Banana

Topping out around 10-15 feet tall, Japanese fiber banana is a cold hardy banana species that can survive down to Zone 7. It produces attractive burgundy-colored leaves that contrast nicely with its lime green trunk. Exceptionally wind and drought tolerant. Plant in full sun to partial shade.

Ice Cream Banana

Named for its sweet, meltingly soft fruit, Ice Cream banana plants grow 10-20 feet tall in frost-free climates. The large leaves are silvery blue with dark green stripes and purple undersides. Cold hardy and beautiful! Grow in Zone 9-11.

Musa basjoo

One of the most cold tolerant banana species, Musa basjoo can survive winters down to 5°F when heavily mulched. Plants grow 15-20 feet tall with large green leaves. This vigourous Japanese native makes a great statement plant for Zone 7-10 gardens.

Musa sikkimensis

Sometimes called the hardy banana, Musa sikkimensis grows 10-15 feet tall and can handle brief temperatures as low as 0°F when mulched. Its burgundy-streaked leaves add striking color. Does best in zones 7-10.

Musella lasiocarpa

Also known as the Chinese dwarf banana, Musella lasiocarpa grows just 6-10 feet tall and can survive winters down to 0°F. Its round leaves and swollen stem base give it a distinct look. A great container or border plant. Cold hardy to Zone 7.

Caring for Banana Plants

To keep your banana plant healthy and encourage it to reach its full size potential, provide the following care:

  • Sun: Most banana plants need full sun, while variegated varieties do best with some afternoon shade.

  • Soil: Bananas thrive in rich, fertile, well-draining soil. Amend planting areas with compost.

  • Water: Provide 1-2 inches of water per week. Bananas are heavy drinkers!

  • Fertilizer: Fertilize regularly during growth with a balanced organic fertilizer or banana plant food.

  • Winter Care: In cold climates, protect the roots and rhizome with deep mulch over winter. Or dig up and overwinter dormant plants indoors.

  • Wind Protection: Stake tall plants and provide a windbreak to protect leaves from wind damage.

With the right growing conditions and proper care, your banana plant will rapidly grow into a stunning tropical showpiece in the garden. Just be sure to choose a variety sized appropriately for your landscape, and enjoy the jungle vibes!

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

Tropical Flare for Pots, Patios, Borders, & Yards

With new cultivars improving ornamental aesthetics, cold hardiness, disease resistances, and fruit-yield, we’re long overdue to talk about the tropical banana plant. We’ll discuss each variety in detail below, but let’s get the universal traits out of the way first:

  • Fast-growing: All Banana trees on this list grow extremely fast, some even reaching maturity in a single year. That means 3, 5, even 10 feet in the time it takes my snake plant to grow a new leaf!
  • Sun / Heat loving: While they can definitely grow well in shade, full sun will deliver the best results. Sun and heat helps keep moisture from sitting on the large leaves, which can lead to fungal issues.
  • Watering: Must have well-draining soil, mound appropriately when planting in-ground. You should be watering nearly once a day after planting, but can reduce to just enough to keep the soil moist once established.
  • Fertilizer: Use a balanced (13-13-13) fertilizer in the spring, and a high-potassium fertilizer (The ‘K’ in N-P-K) in the summer.
  • Self-Pollinating: All edible banana plants can produce fruit by themselves, no second plant necessary.

At our garden center, we stock a good mix of both Ornamental & edible banana plants. Ornamentals are the showier varieties, grown for striking foliage. Edibles typically have accented traits for fruit production. Whatever you choose, just know the Louisiana climate makes them easy to grow but difficult to harvest. Have reasonable expectations when choosing in-ground tropicals, where the occasional flower or even fruit is a happy surprise!

Our most popular ornamental banana, the Red Maurelii demands your attention by producing a fantastic gradient of colors on their foliage. Purples morph into subdued greens and vibrant reds, with each leaf being slightly different from the last. When mature, the red trunk begins to stand out as its own point of interest.

Growth: 12-15ft tall by 6-10ft wideCold Hardiness: 20-30 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

(Musa acuminata ‘Little Prince’)

Little prince is the perfect name for this beautiful, truly-dwarfed plant. Maxing out at just 2-3 ft tall, it can fit in almost any container. Easily bring it inside for cold protection, or just keep it indoors year-round for a beautiful addition to your plant shelf. The foliage of little prince is mostly a classic green, but you’ll see blotchy dark-reds appear as it matures, more-so when getting enough sunlight.Growth: 24-30 in tall, similar widthCold Hardiness: 30-40 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

The classic banana plant we all know and love! Under the right conditions, these plants can get MASSIVE. You won’t get much color, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a green leaf when it’s 3 ft long! The fruit has a sweet taste, ready to eat right after ripening. However, Louisiana gardeners may have trouble due to our typical winter temperatures. Be happy with the plant alone, but be ecstatic if you’re lucky enough to eat some of its fruit!

Growth: 12-20 ft tall, 8-15 ft wideCold Hardiness: 40 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

Named after its ability to produce two large heads of fruit in its second fruiting cycle. Double Mahoi is a mutation of the Dwarf Cavendish banana. Although its cold hardiness leaves some to be desired, the plant matures at only 6-8 ft tall. This means you can easily grow Double Mahoi in a container, and bring it inside for any cold-snaps. With a bit of planning, you’ll have better chances than ever of home-grown bananas.

Growth: 6-8 ft tall, similar widthCold Hardiness: 30-40 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

(Musa acuminata ‘Grand Nain’)

Another highly-productive banana plant, the Grand Nain is notable for its cold-hardiness, disease resistances, wind resistance, and manageable size. It’s also among the most sought after family of fruits, the ‘Cavendish’ group (same as Chiquita bananas). You’ll see these banana plants grown in containers or in-ground, and with great success in Louisiana!

Growth: 6-8 ft tall, 8-10 ft wideCold Hardiness: 15-20 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

(Musa acuminata x balbisiana ‘Blue Java’)

Blue Java is a new selection at Louisiana Nursery, and we’re super excited! The name comes from it’s “vanilla ice cream flavored” fruit, and silvery-banana peels. However, the trait most important to us is a cold hardiness of 10-20 degrees! This is a game changer, as Louisiana gardeners may just finally get a consistent fruit even when planted in-ground. If easy-growing and ice-cream flavored bananas sounds good to you, give Blue Java a try!

Growth: 12-18 ft tall, 10-12 ft wideCold Hardiness: 10-20 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

A mix between the Grand Nain ‘Chiquita’ banana and the ornamental Zebrina. Dwarf Sumatrana has excellent tasting, jungle-style fruit and a truly striking variegation of maroons and green. Sun-loving, fast-growing, all-around perfect choice for a Louisiana gardener. Even if this banana never made a fruit, you won’t regret seeing it in the yard.Growth: 7-10 ft tall, similar widthCold Hardiness: 30-40 degrees

size matters choosing the right banana plant for your landscape

Where to Plant Bananas – Banana Site Selection

FAQ

Can banana tree roots damage foundation?

Banana plants are overgrown herbs growing from a corn and are not trees. Their root system is composed of fibrous roots and pose no danger to pool or house.

Where is the best place to plant a banana tree in your yard?

Banana plants love full sun, heat, and humidity. Place it in a location that receives sun most of the day but is sheltered from strong wind. Banana plants require well-draining soil. A good mixture is sand or perlite with compost.

Are banana trees good for landscaping?

The ability and ease of the banana plant to multiply makes it an ideal plant for both food production and landscape. If you need quick privacy, you can simply plant a few bananas and before long you’ll have a broad and lush patch, creating a beautiful bright green wall of flora.

Do banana plants like sun or shade?

Full sun: Banana trees need full sun to thrive, or a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day. Indoors, keep your banana plant near a south-facing window and consider supplementing its growth with a grow light.

Do banana trees need a lot of sunlight?

Before you decide to add banana plants to your garden, you should know what they require. They need temperatures that average between 70-80°F with constant humidity around 50%. They also prefer around 12 hours of sunlight. That means people in temperate regions can’t plant banana trees in their backyards and expect them to grow.

Can a banana plant grow year-round?

If the banana plant can keep growing year-round in your zone, or if you bring it indoors to shelter it from winter temperatures, it’s definitely possible. Most banana varieties need nighttime temperatures of at least around 70°F during the summer fruiting season, but your mileage may vary. It’s always a bit of trial and error!

How far apart should banana plants be planted?

Plants should be spaced approximately 8 feet apart to allow room for growth without overcrowding. Dwarf varieties can be planted slightly closer together if needed, but it’s far better to give your bananas more room to grow than less. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots.

How to care for a banana tree?

Let’s explore the essential aspects of banana tree care to ensure your plant thrives. The key to a healthy banana tree starts with proper planting. Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Plant your banana tree in a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep.

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