WELCOME TO NORTH AMERICAN PLANTS, LLC
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The word hardy is of course a relative term. We offer here a banana species that can survive and grow in the Pacific Northwest and other areas not especially known for their abundance of tropical plants. In order to be hardy in the Northwestern United States, a banana must possess two important traits: a low heat unit requirement for growth and also (in order for the bulb to survive), resistance to chilling (but not freezing) ground temperatures. We and our gardening colleagues have tried a number of "hardy" edible cultivars over the years, but these have not been successful due to lack of one or both of the above-mentioned factors. This hardy banana is capable of producing fruit, but they never develop into something worth eating. Fully developed fruits can only be produced in the presence of a pollen source and on trunks that have not frozen for at least one year. This situation does not typically happen in zones lower than USDA 8. The key to successful cultivation of these species is to site them in a prominent and sunny location, preferably against a south-facing wall in colder or cooler areas and apply liberal amounts of fertilizer and water throughout the summer. Hardy bananas should not be planted in the shade of anywhere that drainage (especially in the winter) is a problem.
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