The Banana Tree is Not Just for the Tropics

Although commonly associated with being a tropical fruit, a banana tree can provide a bold, tropical foliage texture in the garden or thrive when grown in a container as tender perennial. Plants like a banana tree are considered herbaceous perennials (but not real trees) in the family Musaceae. There are three genera of bananas in the family Musaceae -- Ensete, Musa, and Musella. Also, they are related to other familiar ornamental tropicals like:

• Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitziaceae)
• Canna Lily (Cannaceae)
• The tropical gingers (Zingiberaceae)
• Heliconia (Heliconaceae)

Bananas are not native to South Pacific islands like some think but rather to China, Southeast Asia, Madagascar and Africa. They do, however, have ancient roots in North America, being a native plant to places such as Oregon as long ago as 40 million years.  In the wild, they range from low equatorial elevations to altitudes high in the tropics, where the cold tolerant species of the banana tree can be found. Although thought of today as an edible fruit, bananas were not introduced to Americans as something they could eat until the Philadelphia World Exposition in 1876. There is only one cultivar that produces the yellow dessert banana that Americans and Europeans eat, Musa acuminata 'Cavendish'.  This is a sterile triploid that produces fruit without pollination (parthenocarpy) and has no seeds. Edible bananas are forms of Musa acuminata or Musa balbisiana or at least a hybrid of these two. The hybrids go by the name Musa x paradisiaca.

Banana trees that were greenhouse grown should be planted in spring after the average frost date in your area. Additionally, bananas can be planted safely anytime during the growing season up until about 10 weeks before the average first frost date. Unlike shade plants, a banana tree flourishes in the sun, even though a few varieties that have variegated leaves require some shade to prevent their leaves from scorching. Banana trees do well in either sand or clay soils, but they perform best when planted in deep, well-drained, organically amended soil.

If you grow bananas in a container, remember that a 10 gallon or larger container will be best because they can get huge quickly. How you water it depends upon the plant size, the container size, the soil type, and the exposure. Young plants in large containers may only require water them two to four times a week. However, large pot bound bananas will need to be drenched with water daily.

If you are thinking about "going bananas" with a banana tree, choose Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. We have plenty to choose from and have an extensive knowledge base that will help you learn how to properly grow your banana tree. For more, contact us at 919-772-4794 or email office@plantdelights.com.

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Give Your Home Garden an Exotic Look with a Banana Tree from Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

[Posted on October 31]

Adding exotic elements to your garden may not be as difficult as you think. If you love the look of a banana tree but thought that you could not grow on in your area, you may be surprised to learn that these trees can thrive very well in a number of hardiness zones. You do not have to actually live in the tropics to give your landscaping a tropical element. If you care for them properly, banana trees will grow well in many growing regions as long as you have a bit of heat during the summer and winter temperatures above 0 degrees F. You will need direct sunlight and light, but moist summer soils in order to have best success with perennial bananas.

If you are looking for exotic and otherwise non-traditional perennial plants, Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. offers a wide selection. If you are unsure of whether or not a banana tree will thrive in your area, simply contact us and we can help you to choose the rights plants for your USDA hardiness zone. We provide perennials in a number of styles, colors, sizes and species to give our customers the opportunity to create a stunning and unique garden. There are a number of banana trees that thrive in colder climates. Again, at Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. we can help you to choose the banana tree or other perennial that will fare best in your specific region.

If you are looking for perennial flowers, we offer a number of species. Whether you want butterflies swarming your garden each spring morning or you prefer more exotic plants and flowers, we offer a wide selection of only the best perennial performers in the world. We take special care in choosing and cultivating high performing perennials so that our customers receive only the best quality and the most beautiful perennial plants for their landscaping needs. If you want rare plants, we offer elephant ears, banana trees and other perennials that will give you a completely unique garden area.

Whether you want something that is uncommon for your area or you simply want to create a garden of native plants from your region, we offer a wide selection of quality perennials. Feel free to browse the remainder of our website to learn more or visit us in person during any of our Open House Days. At Plant Delights, our goal is to help you to create the garden of your dreams. Contact us for more information today.

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Choose a Banana Tree for Your Home Garden, No Matter Where You Live