In the spirit of Randy's post, let's look at musa basjoo for a minute.
It starts as just little stumps in early spring. Musa basjoo starts growing quite early for a banana. It seems to like the cool weather. In just a few weeks, it will look like the following.
It grows about 12 feet high by November and looks like this:
And, if you treat this banana right, it will reward you with beautiful flowers.
I consider this banana a gift from heaven for gardeners north of Zone 7. Let's all rejoice for the awesome musa basjoo!
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Austin
Arkansas River Valley
Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches