While tropical banana species require consistently warm, frost-free environments, certain cold-tolerant varieties and banana relatives can be successfully grown in Ohio. These plants are cultivated primarily for their dramatic, fast-growing foliage, creating an exotic garden aesthetic during the warm summer months. Achieving this tropical look requires selecting the right species and implementing proactive winter protection strategies each year.
Understanding Feasibility in Ohio’s Climate
Ohio’s climate presents significant challenges for tropical plants, as the state is primarily situated across USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b through 7a. These zones experience winter low temperatures far below freezing, while most true banana varieties require the warmth of Zones 9 through 11 to survive unprotected. The primary limiting factor is the short growing season combined with the severity of the winter freeze. Banana plants enter dormancy below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and leaves die back with the first frost. Prolonged freezing temperatures that penetrate the soil can destroy the plant’s underground corm, which is responsible for regrowth. Therefore, successful cultivation must focus intensely on surviving low winter temperatures.
Choosing Suitable Cold-Tolerant Varieties
Gardeners in Ohio must select specific banana varieties known for increased cold tolerance. The most commonly grown and reliably cold-hardy species is the Japanese Fiber Banana, Musa basjoo. This species is root-hardy down to approximately -10 degrees Fahrenheit; the subterranean corm can survive and resprout even if the above-ground pseudostem dies back completely. It is grown strictly as an ornamental plant for its large, lush leaves and fast growth, often reaching 10 to 15 feet in a single season.
Another popular choice is the Abyssinian Banana, Ensete ventricosum, particularly the ‘Maurelii’ cultivar. Unlike Musa basjoo, Ensete is not truly root-hardy in Ohio and is usually treated as an ornamental annual or must be dug up for indoor storage. This genus does not produce suckers and is grown as a single, massive specimen with leaves that can grow up to 11 feet long.
Necessary Strategies for Winter Survival
Successful long-term cultivation of bananas in Ohio hinges on meticulous overwintering strategies.
Outdoor Protection for Musa basjoo
For the root-hardy Musa basjoo, two main methods protect the corm and, optionally, the pseudostem. The basic approach is outdoor protection, where the leaves and pseudostem are cut back to one to two feet after the first hard frost. A thick layer of dry, insulating mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves, is then piled six to ten inches deep over the remaining stem and surrounding ground to prevent the corm from freezing.
Growers can also attempt to protect the pseudostem to gain a head start on height the following year. This involves wrapping the cut stem in layers of burlap, bubble wrap, or horticultural fleece, often secured inside a wire cage filled with dry straw for maximum insulation. Keeping the pseudostem alive significantly increases the plant’s height and maturity in the new season.
Indoor Storage for Ensete ventricosum
For the less hardy Ensete ventricosum, the only reliable strategy is indoor storage. This method involves digging up the entire plant before the first frost, cutting the leaves and pseudostem back, and allowing the corm to dry out for several days. The plant is then stored dormant in a cool, dark, and frost-free location, such as a garage or basement, where temperatures remain above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining the pseudostem through winter is necessary for the plant to reach the size required to produce a flower stalk.