Un-Tropical Plants: The Cold Hardy Banana Tree

The Banana Tree Company is famous for tropical seeds, rhizomes, and plants – some available only from us, but we're also famous for the decidedly un-tropical cold-hardy Musa Basjoo banana plant. The Banana Tree was the first major importer of the Musa Basjoo, the Japanese Fiber Banana or Hardy Banana, in North America.

The Musa genus represents a large variety of banana plants, over 50 in total, from the common banana and plantain to the now common Japanese Fiber Banana. The overwhelming majority in the family is tropical and won't thrive in North America, but like everything in life, some have evolved into a “cold hardy” variety.

There are three plants in particular that are popular with customers of The Banana Tree Company:

The Banana Tree originally sourced these plants not only because we have proven them to be the top three cold hardy plants, but also because of their beauty. The quick-growing plants have beautiful foliage becoming of their tropical heritage and striking ornamental fruit that matures in the more temperate zones in North America.

Learn more about the Cold Hardy Banana Tree.