Hardy Banana… meet January. January… please be nice.

I’ve never had the guts to get a banana tree. Our indoor and outdoor space is shady and limited, and this tropical plant never seemed like a good idea in places with snow. A recent trip to New Orleans seduced me into rethinking my no-banana yard. There are plenty of fabulous plants in the (surprise!) Garden District, including banana trees flush with tiny yellow-green fruit. I’m still not sure if I’m ready for a Siam Ruby , Muse Bordelon or Praying Hands banana tree, but I broke down and got a lovely Hardy Banana a couple days ago .

Banana Tree in the New Orleans Garden District. From Wikimedia Commons.

The ‘Musa Basajoo’ or Hardy Banana is one of the most cold-hardy bananas around. While the fruit’s not edible, the foliage is beautiful ( rich green  leaves that start out as almost chartruse). Hardy Bananas are cold hardy as far up as Ohio, and they can grow up to twelve FEET in a single season.  I’m planting mine in an oversized container along with some colorful trailing groundcover.  Thanks Terregan Nurseries and NOLA for the push to banana!