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Old 07-23-2019, 09:20 PM   #21 (permalink)
SoCal2warm
 
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Default Re: How to breed (seedless) Bananas for Temperate climates

Mississippi State Trial Gardens has Red Abyssinian, Bordelon, and Thai Black growing outside, USDA climate zone 8a.

(Cold Tolerant Bananas, MissStateExtension, YouTube video)


The following descriptions come from Dennis Carey of Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina, which appears to be in zone 7b, looking at a climate zone map.
Musa sikkimensis 'Red Flash'
(Zone 7b-10)

Musa thomsonii (Thompson's edible banana)
This Himalayan species grows to 15 feet tall, but our plants have topped out with 12-foot glaucous grey stems. The new leaves often have a red flush on the reverse side. We have had our plants in the ground since 2007, and they have survived 9°F without mulch. (Zone 7b-10)

Musa velutina (pink velvet banana)
There's something mystical about a pink velvet banana that makes you want to start belting out Elvis tunes. M. velutina was our first introduction to hardy bananas and is still a favorite in our summer garden. Rarely exceeding 6 feet tall, M. velutina produces copious flower stalks near the top of the trunk, starting in late summer. Each stalk is soon home to clusters of small, pink velvet bananas. Don't plan on a snack from these seed-filled bananas unless you are exceedingly hungry or exceedingly drunk. Once established, they seem to be quite winter-hardy. Not all strains of M. velutina are equally winter hardy. (Zone 7b-10)
https://www.nurserymag.com/article/n...banana-plants/


Right now I have two seedlings of Helen's Hybrid and two of Musa thomsonii, so this information sounds very hopeful.
I'm not sure how well they can do in the Pacific Northwest climate though.

Last edited by SoCal2warm : 07-23-2019 at 09:25 PM.
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