JaredZone9a

Hello,

I’ve been wanting to keep some banana plants for a long time but have been living in a luxury apartment where I couldn’t. Recently moved to a small house with a backyard. Now I’m finally able to get a few plants.

Backyard gets full sun in the afternoon. The sun comes up in the front and goes over the house and hits the backyard by 10am or so. Gets about 6-8 hrs of sun before it tucks behind a dense oak and pecan canopy.

I want something that grows well in my zone but doesn’t get 40’ tall. Yes, of course I’m a sucker for the Blue Java’s (like everybody else), but are they worth it and is there something better? I like aesthetically pleasing plants.

Let me know your favorites. :-)

Yug

Dwarf Apple? They are about the only thing you can find around here.

JaredZone9a

Ok, I’ll look them up. :-) Are you in Texas or Hawaii?

I was looking at the Dwarf Cavendish too, because they only get 10’ or so.

smeash

Dwarf namwah and Raja Puri are good choices. Dwarf red is a beautiful plant, but I havent fruited one yet.. although I hear the fruit is good. Blue java are sort of a novelty plant, but i think there are better tasting varieties. Im not certain i would grow them if i were space limited.

JaredZone9a

The Raja is a dwarf too?

75north

Dwarf Apple is called Dwarf Brazilian outside of Hawaii, and it's a very good choice. Both it and Dwarf Namwah are fairly cold hardy and have nice tasting fruit. Raja Puri and Dwarf Orinoco seem like they would also be good choices.

I'm not really fan of Dwarf Cavendish. The fruit aren't too different from what you can find in a grocery store and it will definitely be tough to get through the winter. Mine start taking leaf damage in the mid-40 degree range and the pseudostem probably won't make it if it dips down into the mid-30s.

crazy banana

If I could only grow one banana, it would definitely be the Namwah (prolific grower and producer, delicious fruits). Second would be a variety out of the Mysore subgroup like Pisang Klotek or Pisang Ceylon, because those do taste different than the store bought Cavendish bananas. Tall Namwah gets up to 15’ here while the dwarf one fruits around 10’ (pseudostem height plus canopy).
I have yet to taste a real good Apple banana/dwarf Brazilian outside of Hawaii. Those were more starchy compared to Namwah or the Mysore varieties.
Blue Java is a beautiful plant with pretty bananas, but if you want a nice dessert banana, pick a different variety.
Cavendish banana plants are way too cold sensitive for my Zone 10 climate, so I would assume they won’t grow too well in your area either.

JaredZone9a

Thanks for the info. Might have to put the Cavendish in a pot. Any size you recommend?

JaredZone9a

Thx for all the info man. You’re full of knowledge. On my way call the place and see if I can get them to cancel the Cavendish.

75north

I think that's probably the right choice. I was lucky to get 3 bunches of dwarf Cavendish through the winter but I also didn't measure a temp below 37 this year. Even still they all lost all their leaves and the pseudostems began to rot and ultimately collapsed, I was just fortunate that they were close enough that they ripened up.

JaredZone9a

Does anybody in the 9a zone leave them in the ground? Seems like it would be easier to pot the Cavendish in that zone or colder so you can bring them inside.


Is it possible to leave them in the ground and winterize them or will they still die?

smeash

Not really a dwarf but typically fruits between 6-8 ft of stem.. compared to my namwah at 13 ft of stem I consider them dwarf. My current RP fruited at 5 ft after i cut it back a bit to clear a choke after winter. Akula has had 2 of his fruit around 6 ft as well. Short and stout plant, good tasting fruit.. its a winner in my area.