A banana plant is technically an herbaceous perennial, a non-woody plant whose “trunk” is actually a pseudostem formed by tightly overlapping leaf sheaths. Despite this tropical origin, it is possible to cultivate bananas in Arkansas, but success depends entirely on selecting the correct cold-tolerant variety and committing to intensive winter care. Growers must understand that the plant’s survival hinges on protecting the underground corm, or rhizome, from the prolonged freezing temperatures typical of Arkansas winters.
Understanding Arkansas Hardiness Zones
The challenge for growing tropical plants like bananas in Arkansas is the state’s climate, categorized by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Arkansas generally falls within Zones 7a through 8b, with average annual minimum temperatures ranging from 0°F to 20°F across the state. Zone 7a, found in the northern Ozarks, experiences minimum temperatures between 0°F and 5°F, while the warmer Zone 8b, covering the southernmost counties, sees lows between 15°F and 20°F.
This classification indicates the state lacks the consistently warm, frost-free conditions bananas prefer for year-round growth. A banana plant’s foliage typically dies back to the ground after the first hard frost when temperatures drop below 32°F. The limited growing season often does not allow enough time for fruiting varieties to mature a banana bunch before the cold returns.
Selecting Cold Hardy Banana Varieties
Selecting the right plant is the most important step for successful banana cultivation in a temperate climate like Arkansas. Banana plants are generally divided into ornamental types, grown primarily for their dramatic foliage, and fruiting types, which are cultivated for edible production. The most common and cold-hardy ornamental variety is the Japanese Fiber Banana, Musa basjoo.
This variety is valued because its corm can reliably survive soil temperatures as low as 22°F without protection, and even lower with heavy mulching. This allows it to regenerate a new pseudostem each spring. While Musa basjoo produces small, inedible fruit, its main appeal is its fast-growing, tropical appearance. Other ornamental types, such as the Red Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’), are far less cold-tolerant and require the entire plant to be dug up and stored indoors.
Fruiting bananas are significantly more challenging because they require the pseudostem itself to survive the winter, as the fruit emerges from the stem after a full season of growth. Varieties like ‘Dwarf Orinoco’ or ‘Blue Java’ offer some cold tolerance, but their pseudostems are rarely hardy enough to survive in-ground in Arkansas without extensive, insulated protection. For these types, the most reliable method for fruit production is growing them in large containers that can be moved indoors for the winter.
Cultivation and Winter Protection Techniques
Successful banana cultivation in Arkansas begins during the active growing season, which requires high levels of sun, water, and nutrients to support their rapid growth. Banana plants are heavy feeders, requiring frequent applications of a high-nitrogen fertilizer throughout the spring and summer months. They also demand significant amounts of water and perform best in a location with full, direct sunlight and well-draining soil.
Basic Cultivation
The leaves on a banana plant evaporate a large amount of water daily, so supplemental irrigation is almost always needed, especially during hot Arkansas summers. Planting them in a location sheltered from strong winds helps prevent the leaves from shredding, which improves the plant’s appearance and photosynthetic efficiency. Providing these optimal conditions allows the plant to store maximum energy in the underground corm before winter dormancy.
Overwintering Strategies
For the hardiest varieties like Musa basjoo, the “chop and mulch” method is the standard strategy for in-ground plants. After the first frost kills the foliage, the pseudostem should be cut down to about 6 to 12 inches above the ground, allowing the remaining tissue to weep and drain excess moisture. A thick layer of insulating material, such as straw or wood chips, must then be piled over the remaining stem and corm, creating a mound at least one foot deep.
This heavy mulch insulates the corm, protecting it from deep-soil freezing and helping it remain dormant until the following spring. Another effective technique, used for less hardy or fruiting varieties, is the “dig and store” method. Before the first hard frost, the plant is cut back, the corm is carefully dug up, and excess soil is removed from the roots. The corm is then stored in a cool, dark location, such as a basement or crawl space, where the temperature remains consistently between 40°F and 50°F, ensuring it stays dormant without freezing.