In chicagoland. Ideas
 

So, I,m in zone 5-6. I have overwintered outside the musa basjoo. I would like small shippers of large tropical plants. I'm pretty sure i would like "bordelon bannana.Any ideas what would grow fast , fend ok and i could dig up or overwinter. A nice sheltered southern exsposure. Maybe Coloccasia Esculenta and windmill palm. Thanks,

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Welcome shnphan, you might consider getting a larger size needle palm (Rhapidophyllum histrix). These have been the most cold hardy Ive seen. Strangely I saw some large specimens here unprotected that were fine after a few days of -4 F. Conversely one of our members lost one even when he's one zone (7) higher. Go with a 15 gallon size or larger .

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Thanks, i had been reading up on those.

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

'Bordelon' will most likely be fine if you bring it in for the winter; go with a big pot and all should be well. Equally, any of the ornamental bananas (M. ornata, M. velutina/dasycarpa, etc.) will do excellently in pots. And I'd go with Bob's suggestion of Rhapidohyllum as well, and some Colocasias (which can be treated like Tulips for overwintering.)

Sandy, who is a member here (Northlandtropicals.com) is a great source for many of these things you seek.

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Do I have to leave in pots ? can i dig up and store? Is that just for bananas?
I was under the impression the rhizome could be wrapped and stored . Will it go dormant . Newbie

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

I'm not able to find northlandtropicals.com.

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Yeah, I'm a bozo when it comes to remembering URLs.

Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
Northern Tropics

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

I can relate . Bozo was from my home town.Thanks again

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Really? The original Bozo? Cool.

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

so yea the show was filmed at wgn studios in chicago.I did the buckets once,but i choked. I'm still looking if anybody has a bordelon pup?

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Not.

Chicago's "original Bozo" (Bob Bell) may have been the most popular. And if you wanted to say longest running I have no data to disagree. But he was not the original original Bozo.

Unlike today where everything is syndicated and piped in from Hollywood, Bozo was a franchise. If you had a TV station and someone who wanted to dress up like, well, a Bozo, you could put it on the air. Chicago's Bozo began in 1960. They had Bozo on TV in LA, California in 1949.

I was scarred for life to find out as a youth that Detroit's Bozo, actually came across the river from the lovely city of Windsor, Canada.

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

I grow trachycarpus fortunei, washingtonia robusta, butia capitata, cycas revoluta, parajubaea torallyi. All overwintered in the ground, zone 5b, SE WI! :)

Re: In chicagoland. Ideas
 

Wow that is impressive. I was not familiar with those until now . I looked them up. I'm inspired it can be done. How do you overwinter when they get tall?