Have you ever considered growing bananas in your Ozarks’ garden?
Seriously Musaceae, the banana family has about 75 species. The genera Musa produces edible bananas, and Ensete and Musella, are ornamentals, and they are from tropical environments in Southeast Asia and Africa. The species shares a number of similarities to cannas, gingers, heliconias, and bird-of-paradise.
The banana is considered the world’s largest herbaceous perennial because it doesn’t have any woody tissue. Most species of banana are under 20 feet tall. Most varieties of bananas are grown because they produce edible banana fruit. Sometimes the fibers in banana shoots are used for textile or paper. Most bananas grown for fruit are seedless, so there is lots of tissue culture available leading to the growth of bananas as ornamental annuals.
Most banana plants are not hardy north of zone seven. That doesn’t mean that a banana plant shouldn’t be considered as a fast-growing annual during the warm season in a climate north of zone seven.
A banana plant can add architectural interest due to the size of the plant. Bananas have large, tropical looking foliage that is interesting to look at and provides unique contrast to the plants around it in a garden.
Japanese fiber banana, Musa basjoo, can survive a winter in zone five with extra protection. This banana is grown in lots of gardens north of zone 7. It will die back to ground in winter, and with proper protection, it will come back the following year achieving 10 to 15 feet of growth and blossoms.
Bananas can be well suited to large containers, too. Smaller plants, like coleus and sweet potato vine, can be a nice complement at the base of container grown banana plant. A bonus is that a container grown banana can be taken inside for protection in the winter.
Do you want the tropical look in a smaller sized banana plant? “Cavendish” is a dwarf species. “Siam Ruby” has striking red foliage. “Thai Black Stem,” like the name implies, has very dark, blackish stems. “Margarita” has unique chartreuse foliage.
Most banana plants require full sun. They like rich soil with lots of compost and slow-release fertilizer during the growing season.
It’s possible to dig up a banana plant before the first frost, remove all the foliage, remove most of the root ball, pack the remaining plant in newspapers or a trash bag. Store the plant in a cool, frost-free place like a basement. Replant the following spring.
A garden center may carry banana plants during the growing season. You can also find banana plants at Going Bananas in Homestead, Fla., or Stokes Tropicals in Jeanerette, La.
Both places have websites with online ordering available.
Questions or comments related to gardening? Contact Joleen at missourigardener@hotmail.com.