Banana Plant: How to Grow and Care for Banana Trees

You can grow a banana plant in the ground in USDA zones 9–11, in a pot almost anywhere, and a hardy ornamental type in zones 5–8. It is not a tree, though. TAMU calls banana a tropical herbaceous plant, with an underground corm and a “trunk” of tightly wrapped leaf sheaths, and it grows fast, wants sun, water and food, and rewards you with a bunch of fruit about a year or more after planting. UF/IFAS says the flower stalk emerges 10 to 15 months after planting.

USDA zones

9–11 in the ground for fruiting types · hardy ornamental Musa basjoo dies back in zones 5–8 (NC State)

Sun

Full sun grows best (CRFG)

Water

Regular deep watering in warm weather (CRFG)

Difficulty

Easy

Lifecycle

Perennial

Origin

Asia

Container friendly

Yes, especially dwarf types (CRFG)

Time to fruit

Flower stalk 10–15 months after planting (UF/IFAS) · fruit matures 3–6 months later (LSU)

Cold limit

Growth stops at 50°F · leaf damage at about 32°F · below 28°F may kill to the ground (UF/IFAS)

Soil

Deep, well-drained, rich in organic matter · pH about 5.5–6.5 (CRFG), up to 7.0 (UF/IFAS)

Wind

Winds above 25 mph can topple tall types and 45 mph short ones (UF/IFAS)

Is a banana plant a tree?

If you have wondered whether a banana grows on a tree, the answer is no, although it looks like one. TAMU describes banana as a tropical herbaceous plant: an underground corm topped by a trunk, called a pseudostem, made of concentric layers of leaf sheaths. There is no wood in it. A banana plant is a giant herb.

That explains a habit that surprises new growers. The pseudostem grows, flowers, fruits once and is then finished (TAMU). Meanwhile new shoots, called suckers, rise from the corm and take its place, so a healthy clump renews itself without replanting.

Where banana plants grow in the US

Bananas are tropical, and the number to watch is the cold. UF/IFAS says plant growth slows below 60°F (16°C) and stops at 50°F (10°C), and that chilling and irreversible freeze damage may occur at or below 32°F (0°C).

UF/IFAS says temperatures below 28°F (−2°C) may kill plants to the ground, while CRFG says plants can survive 28°F for short periods, and that the underground rhizome usually survives if the temperature stays above 22°F and the cold spell is short. The corm is the insurance policy.

Banana varieties for US growers

Pick by size and purpose first. Dwarf Cavendish is the compact, store-type banana, Lady Finger gives small, sweet fruit on a tall plant, and Blue Java is the “ice cream” banana.

For the full comparison, see our banana varieties guide, or go straight to Dwarf Cavendish or Blue Java.

Where to buy a banana plant

Buy a container-grown plant, or a sucker with roots, from a nursery near you, or from a plant sale run by your county extension office or a local fruit-growers club. Check that the label gives the variety name, because a banana is sold by name, like an apple. A neighbor with a healthy clump is another good source.

You cannot grow a fruiting banana from a store banana. Our guide on how to grow a banana tree from a banana explains why, and what to plant instead.

How to grow a banana tree

The most common planting material is suckers, or pieces of the rhizome (UF/IFAS). That is how nearly every banana plant gets started.

1. Choose a variety for your space. Pick a dwarf type for a small yard or a pot, and a taller one only if you have room.
2. Find a sunny, sheltered, well-drained spot. Full sun grows best (CRFG), and shelter from wind protects the big leaves.
3. Plant a sucker or a nursery plant. Dig a hole wider than the root ball, set the plant at the depth it grew, firm the soil and water it in deeply.
4. Mulch, water and feed. Mulch around the plant, keep it off the stem, and water and feed regularly, as described below.
5. Thin the clump and wait for flowers. Keep a few stalks of different ages.

How to plant a banana tree

Site and soil. UF/IFAS says bananas do best on flat, well-drained, deep soils that are high in organic matter, with a pH of 5.5–7.0. CRFG prefers an acid soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, so aim for about 5.5–6.5 and know that a little higher is tolerated. Drainage matters most. TAMU says to avoid standing water, because bananas do not tolerate overly wet conditions. CRFG adds that the banana is not tolerant of salty soils, and UF/IFAS lists yellowing and dying leaf margins as a sign of salt damage. In heavy soil, plant on a low mound.

Wind. UF/IFAS says winds above 25 mph may topple tall banana cultivars and winds above 45 mph may topple short ones. Plant in the lee of a wall, fence or hedge, and lean toward a dwarf type, since TAMU says wind damage is less severe on Dwarf Cavendish.

Taking a sucker. Not every sucker is equal. UF/IFAS says to remove sword suckers from vigorous clumps with a spade when they are 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m) tall, and CRFG says at least 3 feet, so about 3–5 ft is the working range. Sword suckers have narrow, spear-like leaves and are well attached to the corm. UF/IFAS says water suckers, which are not well attached, produce weak plants and less fruit. Our from-scraps guide shows how to tell them apart and divide a clump.

In a pot. CRFG says bananas, especially dwarf varieties, make good container specimens. Use a large pot with drainage holes, such as a 10-gallon fabric pot to start. See our banana plant in a pot guide for the details.

Banana plant care

Most banana plant care comes down to water, food, sun and keeping the clump tidy.

Watch the leaves. UF/IFAS says drought stress shows as folded leaves, a pale green to yellow color and premature leaf death.

How to fertilize a banana plant

Banana plants grow fast, and a plant that is fed well fruits sooner and bigger. UF/IFAS says the potash requirement is high, so use a fertilizer that is high in potassium, such as one with a nitrogen, phosphate and potash ratio of 3-1-6. Look for one that also contains magnesium.

UF/IFAS gives a schedule you can follow:

• Young plants: start with 1/2 lb (0.23 kg) of a 6-2-12 or similar formula, with 2–3% magnesium, every 2 months.
• As the plant grows: increase the amount gradually, up to 5–6 lb (2.3–2.7 kg) at flowering and fruiting time, which comes 10 to 18 months later.
• Frequency: UF/IFAS says to apply fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphate, potash and magnesium every 4 to 8 weeks throughout the year.

Spread it in a ring around the plant, away from the pseudostem, and water it in. Other extension guides use more balanced fertilizers at different rates, so follow the label of whatever product you buy.

Managing the clump

A banana plant sends up new suckers all the time, and left alone they crowd the clump. UF/IFAS says to maintain 3 to 4 pseudostems of different ages: one that is flowering or fruiting, one about half to two-thirds that size, and one or two sword suckers, 6 inches to 3 ft tall, throughout the year. Remove the extras at the base, or dig them up to plant elsewhere, so there is always a stalk coming along behind the one that fruits.

Common banana plant problems

Banana plants in cold weather

• Mulch the rhizomes. LSU says a good layer of mulch over the rhizomes can help them survive.
• Bank soil around the trunk. TAMU says to do this just before a projected cold spell, to protect the underground buds so the plant regenerates in spring.
• Dig and store the plant. TAMU says some people dig it up, remove the leaves and store it dry in a heated area.
• Be patient about cutting back. After a freeze, remove only pseudostems that are clearly dead and mushy. TAMU cuts plants off at ground level once there is no doubt they were killed, while LSU warns that trunks that may still be alive should not be cut down, because new leaves and flower stalks can emerge from the top. Wait until you can tell.

For the full routine, including the hardy Musa basjoo, read our banana overwintering guide.

Harvesting bananas and cutting down after fruiting

LSU says fruit generally takes three to six months to reach maturity after flowering. Cut the whole bunch when the individual bananas are plump, full and rounded (TAMU). LSU says the fruit changes from an angular cross section to a rounded one as it matures, with a slight yellow tint that can be hard to see.

LSU says to harvest before the fruit is fully ripe, because it often splits if left on the plant. Ripen it indoors:

1. Hang the stem in a cool, shaded place. TAMU says ripening proceeds naturally in a few days if the bunch is properly harvested.
2. To hasten it, enclose the bunch in a plastic bag with a sliced apple for about a day (TAMU).
3. Do not refrigerate bananas before they ripen. UF/IFAS says this causes chilling injury.

Then deal with the plant. The pseudostem that bore fruit never fruits again, so cut it down. TAMU says to cut it off near ground level. CRFG says to cut the fruiting stalk back to about 30 inches and remove the stub several weeks later. Both work. The younger stalks in the clump carry on.

Want another tropical fruit that does well in pots? Try our mango tree guide. For a showpiece cactus fruit, see the dragon fruit guide, or browse the tropical fruit section.