Red Abyssinium banana in zone 8a

Last April I planted a red abyssinium which is now at least 14 ft tall. Has anyone in my zone (8a) had luck with them surviving our winter? I read on a web site that they usually survive if they are heavily mulched. Thanks!

This message was edited Oct 20, 2009 4:42 PM

Donna -- did anyone ever dmail you a response? Or what has been your experience this winter so far, if you planted it in the ground? What did you do for winter protection? Any sign of growth?

I bought a couple of these myself a few weeks ago, and while the nursery said they can be overwintered in the ground with a cage of leaf mulch, I'm a little nervous about risking it.

I received one in trade last fall and overwintered it in the greenhouse .. I'm definitely putting it in the ground this year but will certainly dig up any pups in the fall for insurance.

X

I didn't think ensetes put out pups. I wouldn't mind if they did, though. They're so beautiful! I'd tried to catch the landscapers at our office complex to snag a full grown one that I knew was going to be dug up and tossed in the trash (as they do every 4 months), but I missed the landscapers when they came around and took that one out.

I really wish there was a program of some sort where they could save the landscaping plants and donate them to a charity (or me) as a plan vs. tossing them into the back of a dump truck destined for the dump. I hate seeing all that beauty go to waste. :(

We have a master gardener volunteer that has made a deal with the landscapers on Hilton Head Island. Rather than pay to dump the plants - as the commercial operators have to do around here - they call him and he picks the plants up. He then donates them to local schools and non profits.

Next summer when it is hot and sticky outside, bring those guys some cool drinks and just ask. Bet you'll get whatever you ask for.

Don't put out pups? How do they propagate? I'm not very knowledgeable on bananas.

X

Hi jlj072174. I had big plans to protect my red abyssinian, but I never got around to it. I have so many things going on in my ever expanding yard that I'm sometimes too burnt out to do everything I should. I thought the abyssinian was toast last month when I cut it down to about 1 ft. It was very watery and mushy, and I was planning to dig it up. A few days ago I noticed that the inner most layers(?) are growing. They're about 3" tall today. If this beautiful giant returns without protection, it's definitely cold hardier than reported. I'll keep you updated on it's progress. ( I think someone from the Florida forum advised me that it should survive with heavy mulching.)

Last year I planted two red Abyssinian's and decided to leave them in the ground versus dig them up. Both only grew to about 3' last year, one was very thick and the other was decently thick. I didn't mulch either of them since I figured for a mild winter after last November being so mild. We had a bad winter here, one of the worst I've seen in a long time and even had one day with 9" of snow. Lots and lots of rain and very harsh cold for a long spell too.

BUT.... I'm happy to say BOTH survived with no mulch or protection - one out in the middle of the yard and one next to the house. Both have started to put out new leaves along with my Basjoo (the only other bananas to show growth yet). I was shocked both made it, I expected both to be goners. So it appears they are pretty tuff. I am hoping they'll get closer to their full height this year.

I already purchased four more to put in the ground. I also am curious how they propagate honestly. I know you can dig up the corm and split it up, but that seems rather drastic.

To date here's my growth log for bananas.

Growing in early/mid March
Basjoo
Abyssinian

Showing some signs of life
Saba
Dwarf Cavendish
Veluntina
Hawaiian 'Apple' / Mainland Brazilian

So far, no signs of growth
Bordelon
Orinoco
Dwarf Orinoco
Praying Hands

No signs of growth and not looking good
'Ice Cream' (Blue Java)
Dwarf Namwah
Pisang Ceylon

Expected to be dead
Siam Ruby

This message was edited Mar 29, 2010 2:59 PM

Thanks for the info!

X

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone. I feel much better about putting them in the ground now and mulching them heavily when the colder months come knocking. :-)

As for the pups, I've seen mixed info ... some say they do, some say they don't. Perhaps one of the ensete owners can chime in to provide their experience. I'd love it if they did!

I bought three of them this year to put out in the yard. What sort of exposure do you all have your's in? Plant Delights said "full sun", but I know our "full sun" here is pretty harsh come July/August. I will have a drip on them for regular watering, but don't want to burn the leaves either. I can go with either full sun (plenty of room for that) or part sun in my yard. Any suggestions?

Thanks much everyone! I've been wanting these for some time, and am really looking forward to having them adorn my landscape this summer!

Red Abyssinian flowers and dies with seeds being the only way to propagate them I believe. I have also heard the seeds won't come true and you end up with a green leaves. ??????

This doesn't help much either but it's worth a look. http://www.bananas.org/f16/ensete-ventricosum-maurelli-aka-red-abyssinian-270.html

Both of mine get full sun, including the hotter afternoon sun, so I think they can take it. They get quite large at the base, bigger than I certainly expected - so they also benefit from A LOT of water. The one out in the middle of the yard is half the size of the one next to the house that gets more water.

My yard isn't that big, so I am hoping to install a drip system this spring (once my classes are through and I can devote more time to my yard) to help cut down on watering time, but keep everything happy, hydrated and alive. It's just big enough that it's a pain to tote the hose around to water everything, but not too big that a drip system will break the bank. I have a good friend who is a landscaper, and is great with helping talk me through all my crazy projects. I'm starting a lotus for his pond, as he's wanted one forever, but would never pay retail for one, so I'm sure he'll be plentiful with the suggestions for me in trade lol.

I planted my Abyssinian behind a large wax myrtle to provide a little protection from strong winds. The growth rate is incredibly rapid - hope I can find another this season and properly protect next winter.

Sometimes Lowe's has them - that's where I got my two last year. I'm still not sure why they didn't get any taller than they did the first year, but they were rather small when I purchased them and it was dry last year for the most part - so maybe that's what limited their growth. Hopefully they'll really increase their size this year, though even as smaller plants they definitely make a statement in the yard.

Did Lowe's have them for a fairly high price??? I remember them being sold at Lowe's but I also remember thinking "that's a lot for those" and I didn't buy one. Had to be over $50 a piece at least. A nursery around here had a couple of big ones (5-6ft tall) for $250 a piece. ????? Somewhere they must be cheaper??

I think mine (at Plant Delights) were about $20/each, but they were only about 16-18" tall. But if they grow fast, I'm okay with that size starting out. Makes 'em fit in my GH that much easier until planting time! :-)

I think at most they were like $25 each, and were a decent size. I remember they were more than the Basjoo last year, but I can't recall exactly how much. But it definitely wasn't that high. Funny thing this year is that so far, Lowe's has only had Musa Rojo and Siam Ruby. The later won't survive here to my knowledge, so their "Hardy Banana" sign isn't quite accurate. I'm not sure where Lowe's gets their bananas but three of them have the same type around here - and no Basjoo or Aby's yet.

The nursery near my house had about a dozen basjoos on a table just last weekend, but for the price ($25/each), I thought I'd see what my basjoos from last year do first. Several of them are already coming back and sending up new growth.

I bought my abyssinian from Lowes last spring for about $25, and it was about 3-4' tall. I watered faithfully throughout last summer and it grew kudzu fast. It thrives in consistently moist soil.

I've not had much luck with the tropicals I've purchased from Lowes or HD in the past. They just seem like they're not as "cared for" in the early stages to experience good longevity for me, for some reason. Not sure. But for that price, it's actually cheaper (for me, at least) to buy them from Plant Delights (they're about $22/each, I think), where I know they are loved and cared for daily from day one ... besides, any excuse to visit Plant Delights (to pick 'em up vs. having them shipped) is good for me! :-)

Is anyone going to the PD propagation workshop in June? I registered back in January but my gardening buddy missed out, that class fills up so fast.

I wish! When I was there in Feb, they said something about adding a second one, but I hadn't seen anything when I checked last on their website. I need to call them about something else, and might ask about it. I have wanted to go for the last couple years. I hear you leave with LOTS of goodies!

:-) I hope so.