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There are some 50 species of banana plants in the Musa genus, including most species that produce edible bananas as well as dwarf and ornamental species. Musa bananas grow in all tropical regions around the world and in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 11 through 13. There are cold-hardy varieties that will grow in zones 7 through 10, but they are typically ornamentals that do not yield edible bananas.

Cold-Hardy Varieties

Most cold-hardy Musa species do not bear bananas, but there are a few fruiting species that can be grown in areas with cool summers.The best-tasting banana available to growers in USDA zones 8 through 10 is said to be the blue java banana (Musa 'Ice Cream'); fans say its silver-green bananas taste like vanilla ice cream or custard. Thompson’s edible banana (Musa thomsonii), grows in USDA zones 7b through 10. Helen’s hybrid banana (Musa 'Helen's Hybrid') grows in zones 8 through 10 and yields a sweet but seedy banana. The Orinoco banana (Musa 'Orinoco') grows in USDA zones 8 through 10.

Climate

If you grow a cold-hardy variety outdoors, plant it so that it faces south or southwest to catch the sun. You can grow tropical species in a greenhouse with bright grow lights, and they should yield bananas. Most tropical Musa species grow best at temperatures between 79 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Their growth slows at 60 F and stops at 50 F. They typically need temperatures from 84 to 86 F to bear bananas but can withstand high temperatures from 95 to 99 F. Bananas do not have growing seasons like temperate climate fruits. A plant grows for nine months, produces bananas, then dies. It is replaced by plant growing from a sucker at its base.

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Planting in Containers

If you grow dwarf Musa bananas indoors, make sure they get plenty of light and humidity. Grow them in containers that are 15 gallons or larger. Water young plants every two to four days or daily if their roots fill the pot. Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer. A balanced fertilizer contains equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Repot plants every three years in a fresh, high-quality potting mix. You can make a plant go dormant by withholding water as the weather cools and then storing it indoors for the winter in a cool, dark place.

Plant Details

Musa banana plants grow from 6 1/2 to 30 feet tall. Their roots are underground rhizomes called corms. The base of leaves fuses together tightly to form a false trunk. Twelve to 20 flowers on stems ultimately yield green, red or yellow bananas, technically berries, that are from 1 1/4 to 16 inches long and from 3/4 to 8 inches wide. A berry is a multiseeded fruit that grows from a single, compound ovary. The cream-colored, yellow, yellow-orange to orange banana flesh may be starchy or sweet. Species cultivated for their fruit are typically sterile. They do not need pollination and their fruit lacks seed.

Soil and Climate

Musa banana species have from 200 to 500 fibrous roots that may extend up to 16 feet laterally and 5 feet deep. Their roots may form tangled mats that 'float' in waterlogged soil. They like deep soil with an acidity of pH 5.5 to 7.5 and do not thrive in shallow, rocky or dry soil. They like full sun but can tolerate shade up to 80 percent. They generally recover from frost damage, but you should protect them with mulch. They tolerate salt spray and can even bear fruit when they grow in tidal mud flats.Tall cultivars may topple if they subjected to winds of 25 to 45 miles per hour when they are bearing fruit. Their large leaves evaporate a large amount of water, so they do not grow well in areas with a dry season of three months or more. Drought can cause the leaves to burn at the edges, and they will grow slowly.

Propagation

Both home gardeners and commercial growers propagate Musa banana species by planting suckers that grow from their root mass or planting seeds for ornamental species. Commercial growers also propagate by tissue culture to ensure disease-free trees. Plant sword suckers, those that are attached to a mother plant that produces bananas. Remove and plant sword suckers that are from 6 to 20 inches tall. The survival rate is 90 to 100 percent. Store seeds of ornamental Musa species in a dry, cool place and soak them in water before planting in light, well-drained soil. Keep them moist and in full sun. The seeds may take several weeks to germinate.

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