Banana Tree

[Deborah]

Does anyone have a banana tree?

[lycomania]

I don't have one yet, but I will be receiving one for my growing season. It will be my first time so I'm excited!

[Worth1]

Bananas aren't really trees.
Depending on the variety and growing conditions after a few years they die after making fruit.

No worries they are like lilies or elepant ears they sprout up from the grownd and you will soon have a banana grove.

They have a traveler palm (Ravenala) that is really a type of Banana but others say it isn't in Madagascar that is way cool.

If you are in a frost free area you would do well to get this specimen.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.b2I&cad=rja

Worth

[kurt]

They can get out of hand and sight.They are rhizomes,and can be a nuisance.The star shaped fruit and seed pods will get to 20-30 pounds when wet.Birds rats and squirrels love them.Dryed" star"pods have crashed through the pool enclosure and my wife finally agrees that they are not "cute"anymore.We are going to have to erect scaffolding this year just to remove them by section cutting.If you have them keep them out in the open for easy access.They are now at 40-50 ft.Came as cute little plants.They suck up a lot of water.Sorry about the inverted images,still working on that.

[Deborah]

What about planting one in a huge pot?

[Sun City Linda]

There is a Dwarf Banana you see available locally and mail order that would be good for pots. The standard size will get top heavy in pots and likely blow over.

[kurt]

Grew in a clay pot for about 1 year and never got banana.Pot costs me $75.00.Was 2 1/2 foot tall and three foot round but had a ball shape.The plant split the clay pot open.Put it in the yard now it is going bonkers.This is a smaller bunched banana,not the larger ones we know of.This mass came from ONE plant.That is our little min-pin in the image.Plant is 12ft now after 5 months inground.

[horses4jess]

I have a full-sized Ice Cream Banana and a smaller Dwarf Cavendish, both in-ground. Each mat has four or five plants in their second year. The harvest was much better of the dwarf variety (it stands about 9 feet tall) than the Ice Cream (stands about 14 feet tall at maturity). I have more banana chips than I know what to do with.

[Deborah]

So a dwarf one in like a half barrel?

[socalgardengal]

My neighbor has about 25-30 of them growing and they hang over my fence. My freezer is stuffed with bananas. Not sure what kind they are. They get about 6-8 inches and fat but you have to let them almost rot, then they are super sweet and great for baking. They do seem to get out of control and the winds here tear the leaves to shreads. In one of my catalogs(I think it's Logee's) there's an awesome looking pink banana tree. The bananas look bright pink! Good luck if you do get one

[ginger2778]

They are actually the worlds largest herb. I planted 2 varieties in the ground in 1995, and they are still going strong. Be careful if you let them out of the pots and into the ground because they can become invasive. I find that I have to trim back someof the starts or they will spred and spread.
They look great next to the 5 pineapples forming, which are ll under our very full mango tree!
I love Dwarf Cavendish and it never gets past 7 feet, but puts out a generous stalk. Then it dies and new ones start to grow.
Half barrel should work well. Good hard to kill plant too.
Marsha

[Deborah]

OK, thanks all, now I have my plans ! (That's my tropical look)