Northern growers, tall bananas?
 

I am interested in tall bananas for ornamental value!! So I am wondering what plants any of the other northern growers here might have had good success with getting tall over one growing season.

I am not necessarily talking about plants that would survive in the ground, as there aren't very many that would fit that bill in my area. I am mostly talking about pups that would go from overwintered pots into the ground in the spring.

I have heard for example, Saba and Thai Black are fast growers and have the capability of getting quite tall. However, would they get taller than 6-8 ft of p-stem in 4-5 months of good northern grow time?

Any experiences, good and bad, with any plants anyone is willing to share would be greatly appreciated:D

Re: Northern growers, tall bananas?
 

I grow in zone 6 +-.

My growing season frost to frost is 170+-days
Of the 170 days about 90+- are in the temperature sweet spot that bananas/tropicals will grow.

Most of my plants top off at 6-8 stem with leaves varying in length of 6 to 9 feet with basjoo having the largest leaf and being the tallest plant

Basjoo is the only plant that goes from -6 to 7+ feet in a season.
The rest of the plants add additional height each season till they become unmanageable.:)


Favorite tallish plants

Basjoo
Bordelon
Balbisiana
Orinoco
Namwah
Variegated plants
Thai Black

Wide shorter plants

Dwarf Red
Dwarf Cavendish
Truly Tiny and relatives
Dwarf Namwah


Forum member Sandybuck has grown Saba in zone 6 for quite some time now and some expierience with the plant/beast.

Re: Northern growers, tall bananas?
 

That's great info, thank you

Re: Northern growers, tall bananas?
 

This season has been by far the best I've seen in 9 years in Z6 SW Ontario Canada. My basjoo p- stems are 8.5 feet. Total height is 16+.