Darkman

I live in Pensacola Florida and I am trying to make my Zone 8b/9a yard look like Zone 10. Bananas will play a large part in this. I am as much interested in edible ones as much as I am in ornamentals. I was given the oportunity to get a Musella lasiocarpa today. He said he would give me one when he separates the pups. He referred to it as a Golden Lotus Flower and said it is in the banana family. Is this a true banana and what can you tell me about it. I will attempt to put some pictures in my profile. My yard is very much a work in progress but I do have one very small area that is semi-finished. I realize that all the plants will not live through the winter but most of the non hardy ones are cheap to replace each spring. I'm probably going to retire in a couple of years and I hope to have the bones of my garden set at that time.

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

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Abnshrek

Hello & Welcome Darkman from the Sportsman's Paradise. :^) The Banana's are located in the Wiki the one you spoke of is Musella Lasiocarpa - Bananas Wiki
If you think banana's can't grow there without dieing. I believe there is a thread on winterization. There's christmas lights, heat-tapes, freeze cloth, Plastic, mulch... etc the list goes on on things to help corms and banana's plants p-stem stay in tact thru the winter. Good Luck. :^) We look forward to pictures of your work in progress in you picture gallery or posts. :^)

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cherokee_greg

Welcome from California happy you found us

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

CoryS

Welcome to the site! I'm new here too but in one afternoon [today], these people helped me save my Black Thai banana plant! If you ever need any help/information about bananas, this is the place to be!

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Dean W.

Welcome, nice photos.

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Tropicallvr

Nice yard! Musella lasiocarpa is hardy in your zone, it's a odd dwarf banana with a really nice flower.

Bananaman88

It is not a "true" banana; otherwise it would have the name Musa rather than Musella. It used to be placed in genus Musa but has since been changed. I'm not really sure the taxonomists are finished dinking around with it yet.

mbfirey

Looked at your Gallery- don't forget Cannas, EE's (Colocasia and Alocasia), and Gingers- if you want to do the "hardy Tropical" thing. You probably wouldn't have to even dig up any.

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Darkman

Thanks everyone,
I appreciate the comments and suggestions. I will try to post some pictures of other areas that are less finished and are being worked on such as my waterfall project.

Thanks

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

palmtree

Welcome to the forum! Musella is probably the closest relative to a banana (that is if ensete is considered a true banana). They are very cold tolerant and are fully cold hardy to a zone 8 and probably a zone 7 too. You should protect it from hard freezes to keep it from completely dieing to the ground. Palm trees are some great ways to add the tropics to a temperate zone as well. Trachycarpus, sabal, butias, european fan palms, brahea, cycas (not a true palm), dates, and lots of others. Also camellias are great evergreens and so are philodendrons, fatsia (looks like a philodendron but the leaves wont burn until temps go down to about 10F), and also lots of others. A water feature will add a nice tropical feel too and a pool does the same.

Welcome and enjoy!

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Location: New York City, zone 7b

LilRaverBoi

Welcome to the site! I hope you enjoy it here and learn a lot. Musella lasiocarpa is a pretty hardy species and is pretty cool when it blooms. Musa basjoo should also be a possibility in your zone and a few others with protection (maybe orinoco). Feel free to ask around the forums and read the wiki pages (look in the blue bar above for a link). Enjoy the site!

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sbl

Welcome fellow Pensacolian! What part of P'cola are you in? I am just off Scenic Hwy near the airport. I have several bananas that survive winter here--Orinocos, Raji Puri, Ice Cream. I have fruited the Orinoco and the RP--both are good bananas. I have had the Orinocos for over 20 yrs and they survived the single digit freeze in 1990--but the stems do freeze most winters unless protected.

I have a nice flowering plant called Jacobina that has a nice pink flower thru the summer--it is cold hardy most winters--and even when it freezes it comes back nicely.

Darkman

Looked at your Gallery- don't forget Cannas, EE's (Colocasia and Alocasia), and Gingers

Have some want more. recently aquired Spiral ginger, Hidden Ginger, Pride of Barbados, Normal ginger. Have three types of Cannas and several EE/Taro.

Palm trees are some great ways to add the tropics to a temperate zone as well. Trachycarpus, sabal, butias, european fan palms, brahea, cycas (not a true palm), dates, and lots of others. Also camellias are great evergreens and so are philodendrons, fatsia (looks like a philodendron but the leaves wont burn until temps go down to about 10F),

Palms Have Chamrdora Radicalis and Multispadix, Phoenix Roebelini, Reclinata and Sylvestris. Have the Sabal common type. Have the Trachycarpus Fortunei. Have the Butia Capitata. Have the Chamaerops humilis EFP. Have the Rhapis humilis and the Rhapis excelsa. Have the Syagrus romanzoffiana. Had a Arenga Engerli but it sucummbed to an unknown disease. Have the split leaf Philodendron and the Fatsias. All of these survived, except two of the Queens and one Roebelini, my 2010 winter where I had two days that the temp dropped to 19.

Thanks to everyone for the input on the Musella lasiocarpa. i'm looking forward to getting the pup.

SBL I live near 9th and Bayou so we are pratically neighbors. Hoping that we can do a face to face one day. You can't beat first hand experience and it looks like you have that covered in this area so I'm willing to try anything you suggest for this area. Is there a good supplier near here.

Another pic my yard
Pink Grapefruit tree November 2009



Thanks to all,

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

sbl

Speaking of gingers, do you have or want a shampoo ginger? I gave a bunch of it away in the spring--I still have plenty. It makes these red pine cone looking seed pods that are full of a soapy liquid--there is a pic in my gallery. Also could give you some Jacobina (see gallery).

palmtree

I really like the grapefruit tree!

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Location: New York City, zone 7b

bananarama2

Welcome Darkman! I'm also growing a musella lasiocarpa inmy garden on Vancouver Island, which is the same zone as you. If you haven't yet, do check out he Wiki on site. The Golden Lotus, aka Chinese Yellow is an ornamental banana, very dramatic flowers (mine has yet to flower, usually taking 2 or 3 years to do so. This is the second summer I've had it in my garden, so am looking forward to the possibility of flowering this year. A little slow to emerge this year, so may take some pampering. This is not an edible fruit bearing plant, but the flower is said to last up to 8 months in the right climate, and quite exotic in appearance. I'll upload pictures if I get blossoms this year. Happy growing!

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hydroid

Welcome Darkman, I live in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I've had good luck with orinoco, saba, ice cream, goldfinger for the tropical look. I have also been impressed with my williams. I hav'nt had much luck getting the fruit to ripen as the past cold winters and hurricanes. I bought a raja puri from Olive Road Nursery in Pensacola and it has'nt fruited and is on it's 3rd year (maybe a water sucker or something). I have finally got a pup and am waiting to move it when it gets big enough. I hear raja puri are tasty and easy to winterize due to their height. So I'm still trying to get fruit. The winter was so bad, I don't think it will be this year though. Thanks
Bo

Darkman

I have a bumper crop of the shampoo ginger but I would love some Jacobina. I have a small orange one I just got. It only has three stems. Do you know if I cut the stems will it bush likw most plants? How can I contact you to get some Jacobina? Do you have any poor mans orchid? Not a real orchid but looks very tropical. I have plenty if you want some.

Thanks

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

Darkman

Palm tree - It's pretty cool and loaded this year.
Bananarama2 - I'm looking forward to growing and seeing it bloom. I was told two years and then it blooms and dies.
Hydroid - I've seen that nursery but never been there. Does he have unusual tropicals and bananas? I'm looking forward to trying some of the ones you and SBL are growing. Especially any that will produce fruit here.

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

LilRaverBoi

The blooming time is only an approximation and may vary widely depending on conditions the plant receives during its growth. As far as it dying afterwards, yes, the main plant that blooms will die back to the ground. However, Musella lasiocarpa pups like mad, so you'll have plenty of plants to take its place from the root system (corm) of the main plant that died.

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!