Banana Trees

[Fezinio]

Hi,

This may be a really silly question but is there such a thing as a dwarf banana tree?

Will it grow in UK (Hants) and if so does it produce edible fruit etc.

Many thanks

Fezinio

[Alison]

Yeah there is such a thing but am not sure about the fruit. Bought some seeds in the "interesting" section down at Lost Garden's of Heligan and had forgotten all about them until now. Will look tonight when I get home and let you know. If I remember right, they were root hardy although the leaves etc would die down every year without protection. Will get back to you later.

[nick the grief]

There's this one

http://coolexotics.com/plant-350.html this is a relative or for a better selection try here

http://www.junglegardens.co.uk/Plant...target=d1.html

[Earthbabe]

I presume it would need some sort of greenhouse or conservatory for most of the year?

[Fezinio]

Thanks for all the info so far

I am sure i have read somewhere that somebody grew one in Yorkshire.

[bramble]

Don't know if they produce edible fruit. Think you need to tie the leaves up in winter to save the crown from frost. Or is that a tree fern?

[Alison]

Tree ferns can definitely be left out in winter with a load of straw packing - think you can get away without even that on the south coast as there were loads at Heligan when we were there in the summer.

With regards bananas, I've got one in a pot in the garden which I bought a few years ago, don't protect it at all in the winter and the leaves die down but it comes up again in the spring from the base. It's never flowered or fruited and I don't know what type it is. Noticed that Monty was protecting his stems with a bean pole, chicken wire and straw affair on GW last night but won't bother myself. I mentioned above that I had some seeds from Heligan, have found them out (will be planting them in the spring), they are Darjeeling which claims to be winter hardy (to -3 for the leaves and lower for the root) and apparently it will grow to 4.5m with a reddish trunk and leaves and should produce edible fruits. The other seeds are Pink Velvet which is a mini banana only gowing to about 1m and it shold produce fruit after 2 to 3 years. It's not hardy though and needs to be kept above 8C so will have to be brought into our conservatory over winter (too tight to keep the greenhouse that warm!) but if it's only small that shouldn't be too much of a problem. As I say have not tired any of these yet so they might not even germinate - the seeds weren't cheap and I didn't get many but the plan is to get them going and then give any spares away as presents. Fingers crossed.

[DrBill]

I have a banana in a container. Last year I wrapped it in fleece and kept it in a sheltered spot overwinter. The top died off but it came again OK.

This winter I have put it in the greenhouse.

I don't think you could get fruit in this country. Grow it as an ornamental

[Alice]

My OH says Ethiopian bananas are quite hardy and will survive the climate but not fruit. I don't know how reliable the info is as I don't see any bananas around here.

[Alison]

Only place I've seen them fruiting in the UK is in hot greenhouses eg Eden but they still make a good specimen plant.

[kirsty b]

Was watching GW a couple of weeks ago and some bloke in Wales had a banana plant that had fruited.

[Alison]

Am guessing it's possible but very hard work and obviously you wouldn't exactly get a bumper crop over here!

[leona]

they fruit at kew gardens too

[pickledtink]

Somebody got bananas on theirs in London this Summer too. It was outside in the garden too apparantly.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm resurrecting this old thread, because I just sowed some Banana seeds ... they were nearly a £ each ! Musa Sikkimensis (sp?)

Anyone grown this one before? It's a perennial for the greenhouse ~ but I'm going to have to leave it in the garden (SW facing) all year, with a blankie on if it snows.