Ensete maurelii
Plant Delights Nursery has a large selection of cold hardy banana trees (Musa bajoo, Musella and Ensete). The banana plants that we have selected are reliable perennials in Zone 8, with some hardy into the warmer reaches of Zone 7. Our banana plant selections were chosen not only for cold hardiness, but also for flower, fruit, and leaf color. As with cannas and other hardy tropicals, gardeners should plant musa outdoors before late August in climates north of Zone 8 to ensure establishment before cold weather arrives.
Hardy bananas are easy to grow, and like many full sun tropical plants, produce best in garden beds with well-composted, well-draining, consistently moist soil. You are not likely to get edible fruit on your ornamental banana as the fruit production season for most selections is 11+ months long. That means that in most temperate gardens, winter will arrive before any fruit does. However, on the off chance that your banana tree produces fruit just as cold weather arrives, you can always try to save it by harvesting the entire trunk and putting it in a bucket of water in your garage. The bananas can finish maturing in this state and will taste fine. For all of this work, you may end up with a few finger-sized, mild-flavored bananas that are filled with large, hard seeds. Have fun!
