atracie

Hello to all. My name is Tracie and i live in NJ. I dont knw what in the heck im doing but im trying to learn. I was given a Banana plant this summer from my daughter neighbor who has tons of them. Can you get the fruit from the plants in NJ if its planted outside? My plant didnt get that big but it does have a baby plant next to it. The person who gave me the plant gets as high as his roof but he said he did not ever take it out of the ground he just cut it back and put mulch over it. I dont knw why but he said his never produced fruit because it does not stay hot long enough. Can i take the baby plant and pot in the house to make fruit or will it not produce fruit here? My plant is about waist high i will try and post a picture.

andy17

Hello Tracie,
Welcome to bananas.org! Based on your description, it sounds like the plant you were given is a Basjoo, a very hardy ornamental variety. The roots if properly mulched and looked after can survive down to zone 5. However, the plant itself is still a frost sensitive tropical that will die back every year if exposed to freezing temperatures. The good news is, they can be brought in for the winter if kept in a pot. There are also quite a few members who instead plant them in the ground and dig them up once winter comes and store them in a basement or garage until next spring. It is definitely possible to get fruit from a banana tree well north of the tropics and usually takes between 2-4 years to get fruit depending on variety and growing conditions. The Basjoo has a beautiful flower and inedible fruit. Hope this helps! Best wishes

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Dalmatiansoap

Banana fruiting in NJ! I know a guy that did it
Welcome and regards from Croatia

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Abnshrek

Hello, Welcome & Happy Growing.. :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

jstone

Welcome from South Louisiana!