Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Hello :)

I have a triangular space along my garden path,about where it begins and thus its an easily viewable location that needs to look good yearround if possible. Its a relatively protected spot right next to an unheated building,that will have tree cover once things grow. However,any plant taller than 4 meters will still be getting lateral full sun no matter how much the other plants grow. This location also gets plenty roof runoff water but so far,the plants i have planted there have done well(Dioon spinulossum,Acanthophoenix rubra). I want to plant a banana there but one that grows tall(4m++ preferably)while having a thin pseudostem(30cm and thinner)so that the spot wont get too crowded and i can have a few pseudostems at once. I also want the variety to be colorful and at the same time one of the leaf hardier ones. I was thinking 'Chini Champa' and from the agronomic evaluation info i found,it grows to 4,5m tall and has a 28cm thick pseudostem. I cannot however find any actual cold hardiness data and especially anything leaf hardiness related. I also dont know if the 'Chini Champa' circulating around are the true ones and the one mentioned on the agronomic evaluation study i read so any info related to Chini Champa's mature pseudostem girth and height as well as fruit taste,would be really appreciated.
Another cultivar that sounds suitable is 'Popoulu' and as its described as needing some shade,it would probably like this spot. I dont know however how leaf hardy it is and how it compare to 'Chini Champa' and other cultivars in leaf hardiness. For example,i have heard that 'Red Iholene' is really tender leaf wise so there certainly is variation in leaf hardiness.
A third cultivar i am thinking about is 'Mysore' but i dont know how thick this one gets and how suitable it would be for this position as i have read its one of the more heat needier ones? Would it do well in that spot? What is its pseudostem girth and pseudostem height?

Looking forward to your advise and information!

Thank you very much in advance! :)

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Well once you plant a banana it will send out suckers and you will have a clump of bananas growing so maybe you should plant something else there.

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

R iholena sounds good if it can survive however cold it gets there.. I think you'll figure it out.. I have confidence in you.. :^)

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Mysore is a slender plant, but it gets tall. It has nice coloration too. It might be suitable.

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Thank you very much for your replies! :)


I know it will clump and so i just select a thinner pseudostem one to fit better. Few pups will be kept at a time due to lack of space there and pretty much everywhere else. I dont want a whole area covered by a banana mat when i can plant many other plants there as well! A managed mat fits fine there.

Red Iholene is a very nice cultivar but from what Tony has said,its one of the first to show damage even with above 0C temperatures,so it will probably not look very good in winter. It will certainly survive in Pyrgos(Zone 10a) and probably not get any pseudostem damage either but it wont look too good. I will have other patios at the south side of my property where i will grow bananas and wont care too much how a few of the more tender ones will look in winter but for that particular spot,i want something that will look good yearround in good years(which is,most of the years in Pyrgos!). Thanks for having confidence in me Michael! You got me in the edibles!!! :^)

Yeap,Mysore is a possibility if it doesnt get thicker than 30cm. I have also found Mysore subgroup bananas to be leaf hardier than others which is very good!


The reason i am asking for help is that i dont have enough information on either pseudostem thickness or cold hardiness of the cultivars i have in mind. So if you are growing them,please share here your experience with them :)

Thank you very much in advance! :)

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Bordelon is a good one to get. They do clump but they're easy to dig up and they can get quite tall, similar to any variety of Ornata, which would also be a good narrow banana.

Re: Which cultivar to choose for a tight and highly visible spot?
 

Thank you very much for the suggestion Tommy! :) I want to plant an edible banana there as i have many of them in pots waiting for a spot in the ground...Plus,i will get more fruits! :)