Musa basjoo

Recent research has shown that Musa basjoo, the world's hardiest banana species, is actually from Sichuan, China and not Japan. This 16-20' slowly spreading species makes a thick green stem that sports 6' long, narrow, green leaves arching from the top of the solid green trunk. The flower emerges from near the top of the stem like a yellow-orange torpedo. After the flowers open, you will be blessed with clusters of small, yellow, 2" long bananas. Forget eating this one...just enjoy the tropical look and tease your neighbors. We recommend a good mulch in colder regions until your clump becomes well-established. Maintenance: Sichuan hardy banana is a very low maintenance perennial. If winter temperatures drop below 15 degrees, it will die to the ground. We recommend removing the old stalk to the ground in early spring. If your winter temperatures remain above 15F, it will most likely regrow from the same stalk, so all you'll want to do is remove the dead foliage at the top of the stalk.