List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Is there a list anywhere on the net (or here) that charts out all varieties of bananas and the temperatures they tolerate from most hardy to very tender?

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Here's the list posted by Richard from that thread. :^)

Here is a list of Edible Bananas sorted by estimated USDA Cold-hardiness Zone. Your mileage may vary:

Name USDA_Hardiness_Estimate
Texas Star 7.0
Amistad 7.5
Carolina King 7.5
Golden Rhinohorn 7.5
1000 Fingers 8.0
Dwarf Orinoco 8.0
Orinoco 8.0
California Gold 8.5
Cardaba 8.5
Double 8.5
Dwarf Brazilian 8.5
Dwarf Puerto Rican 8.5
Ebun Musak 8.5
French Horn 8.5
Giant Plantain 8.5
Goldfinger 8.5
Gran Nain 8.5
High Color Mini 8.5
Ice Cream 8.5
Kalela 8.5
Lady Finger 8.5
Mahoi 8.5
Mauritius 8.5
Mona Lisa 8.5
Monkey Fingers 8.5
Mysore 8.5
Pisang Ceylon 8.5
Pitogo 8.5
Rajapuri 8.5
Saba 8.5
1780 hybrid 9.0
African Rhino Horn 9.0
Argentino 9.0
Belle 9.0
Brazilian 9.0
Dwarf Cavendish 9.0
Dwarf Namwa 9.0
Dwarf Thai 9.0
FHIA-18 9.0
FHIA-20 9.0
FHIA-21 Plantain 9.0
FHIA-23 9.0
Green Red 9.0
Hua Moa 9.0
Iholena 9.0
Kandrian 9.0
Misi Luki of Samoa 9.0
Pace 9.0
Popoulu kaia 9.0
Red Iholene 9.0
Red Jewel 9.0
Sweetheart 9.0
Tuu Gia 9.0
White Iholena 9.0
Williams Hybrid 9.0
Zan Moreno 9.0
Ae Ae 9.5
Dwarf French 9.5
Ele Ele 9.5
Enano Nautia 9.5
FHIA-17 9.5
Golden Beauty 9.5
Manzano 9.5
Namwa 9.5
Pisang Buai 9.5
Praying Hands 9.5
Sumatrana X Gran Nain 9.5
Super Plantain 9.5
Tall Red 9.5
Valery 9.5
Kaulau 10.0
Kofi 10.0
Pisang Klutuk 10.0
Cavendish (banana) 10.5
Cocos 11.0
Dwarf Gros Michel 11.0
Dwarf Red 11.0
Gros Michel 11.0
Jamaican Red 11.0
Kappa Pazham 11.0
Pisang Tandok 11.0
Rose 11.0
Karat 12.0
Kru 12.0
Latundan 12.0
Nino 12.0
Utafun 12.0

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Do these hardiness zones refer to pseudostem hardiness unprotected or to corm hardiness?

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

pseudostem hardiness unprotected


Garden Article: All About Growing Zones | Hardiness Zones | Heat Zones | Sunset Zones | Microclimates

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Thanks Tony,thats great to hear!

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

I am not sure how accurate the list is.

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

I agree with Tony, be very very careful with that information. There are many factors that influence the reported hardiness including the correct identification of the plant being reported on and how the person reporting is measuring hardiness. Hardiness is relative to other varieties grown in the same conditions and treated the same, but the actual temperature level that each plant can take is totally dependent on how they are treated (such as protection or location in the yard even) and how you are measuring the temperature and duration of the cold the plant is being exposed to. Is this the air temperature, the temperature in the soil that the corm is exposed to, the temperature under a leaf pile that is protecting the plant?

There can never be a definitive list because you can never account for what circumstances the plant will be in, but you can use the above list as a very rough guide of relative hardiness, don't take anything from there as a rule.

For leaves to survive, basically anything above freezing is sufficient, although some more tender varieties will show damage at around 40, but the plant will not generally be killed.

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Good point, Gabe.

I thought you were leaving the country?

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Yes, I'm in and around Kampala, Uganda for awhile. I wasn't sure what kind of internet access I would have or what kind of time I would have. It turns out I have a fairly reliable connection, and when I'm home in the evenings and weekends I can check in here (for now).

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Let's see, it has Dwarf Cav as a 9, Saba and Grand Nain in 8.5 (I'm guessing that means 8B) yet my Grand Nains totally died while the Saba's came back great and the Dwarf Cavs are doing excellent.

A little odd considering the winter we had when it got down to 18-22 degrees for four nights.

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

This is great stuff... thanks everyone!

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

Thank you very much Tony and Gabe for the info too! Indeed there are many variables...Lets hope we can improove the list to make the variables less! Of course a banana can still die from rot if in unsuitable soil and getting lots of rain but what this list should show is the damage caused by cold to an unprotected pseudostem.

Re: List of bananas--hardy to tender?
 

I had a beautiful white iholena that fruited. The rain and heavy winds took out all the leaves and the pstem turned to mush. The plant would of done fine if it hadn't lost all it's leaves.