Golden Lotus - Cold Hardiness
 

Hi...

Does anyone know the true cold-hardiness of a Chinese GOLDEN LOTUS Banana. I have one in a pot that's like 6ft tall now. I'd like to keep it outdoors as long as possible. I'm in zone 7a (New York) and It's going down to the low 50's now at night.

Re: Golden Lotus - Cold Hardiness
 

Humm,wish I knew too. We don't seem to have much help on some of these questions lately.

Re: Golden Lotus - Cold Hardiness
 

If you mean Musella Lasiocarpa, this is from bananaplantation.biz:

Musella is endemic to South West Yunnan and the places it grows are high mountains where winters can be quite frosty.

The maximum height of the plant is only about 5ft,

This banana also has a greater tolerance for colder climates since its origins are in the mountains, all the way to zone 7!

Re: Golden Lotus - Cold Hardiness
 

This is a very hardy banana, to zone 5 with mulch. Mine tolerated frost with very little damage. This is one of the toughest bananas around.

Re: Golden Lotus - Cold Hardiness
 

Extremely hardy here in zone 7 Nashville, TN. I covered a small one with a bag-o-leaves last Winter, and it came through just fine. A friend a little north of here planted a small one out in October, didn't protect it at all, and it came back this Spring. They can take temps in the mid-teens with very little, if any, dieback. Keep in mind that hardiness decreases markedly if it's left out in a pot.