HOME Bananas - Introduction - General information on cultivation - Musa     acuminata                     balbisiana                     basjoo                     Goldfinger                     Orinoco                     Rajapuri                     sikkimensis                     sp. Thibet                     velutina                     sp. Yunnan - Musella  lasiocarpa - Ensete   glaucum                     ventricosum                     ventricosum 'Maurellii' Tree Ferns - Introduction - General cultivation information - Cyathea           australis                               Brentwood                               brownii                               cooperi                               dealbata                               dregei                               medullaris                               smithii                               tomentosissima - Dicksonia      antarctica                                            fibrosa                               lanata                               sellowiana                               squarrosa                               youngiae Bananas You probably can't believe it's possible to grow your own banana plants in colder climates.  Well, believe it or not, it's TRUE!!!!!!!  There are lots of species you can try in your garden.  Of course, most of them need ptrotection, but they are gorgeous!  And they grow extremely fast too, so there's no reason for not trying them.  When you really are afraid of losing the precious plants, then only try the hardiest of them all.  It's almost impossible to lose a Musa basjoo when you protect it a bit at the roots. Species There are three genera of bananas: Musa (the biggest of them all), Ensete and Musella (the smallest, only one species).  Some species grow in tropical countries, others grow in mountain areas where they get frost and snow every winter. Not all of the fruits of Musa are edible.  There are lots of delicious species that you can grow for the fruits, but the plants haven't been tested properly yet outside in cold climates.  Species like Orinoco, Rajapuri...give great tasting fruits, but you should be careful with your plnats.  Nobody really knows for sure how hardy these species are.  The Chiquita banana is the fruit of Musa Grand Nain, a tropical species. OPne thing is sure: whether it's a tropical species or not, they get huge and are terrific! Ensete doesn't have species with edible fruits.  But don't let that stop you from trying them!!  These are one of the tallest bananas there are in the world, and fairly hardy too!! Cultivating bananas In general, I can say that bananas are pest free.  That's already very important, don't you think?  I have already had a plant with bugs, but it just grows so fast that the bugs don't seem to do any harm.  After one treatment, everything was just fine, and the bugs never came back.  I must add here that that plant was weak, and had suffered severe root damage.  Bigger, healthy plants will grow like crazy, you can count on that. Bananas are fast growers, so it's quite normal that they need: fertilizer and lots of water.  Full sun is preferred, so they get as much sun as possible in our cooler climate, but some shade won't affect their growth in my experience. When you are growing your plants in a living room for instance, you have to make sure that the atmospherical humidity is high at all times!!  Otherwise, leaves won't look too good, and the plant will die a slow death.  It would be already a big help when you put the plant outside during summer then. When you are growing your bananas outside, winter protection is absolutely indispensable!! There are only two species that could survive severe frost without any protection at all: Musa basjoo and Musa sikkimensis.  And even those would have to start all over, they would ccertainly lose their stems. For more information on winter protection, click here. MUSA Musa acuminata This is not a hardy species, on the contrary.  but I mention it anyhow, because there are two varieties that are very interesting, even in cool clmates.  I'm talking about Musa acuminata Dwarf Cavendish and Musa acuminata Super Dwarf Cavendish.  These two, as their names already say, are very small, even when mature. The species itself, Musa acuminata, is very tender.  SZevere leaf damage can already occur when it's only 32°F (0°C).  The slightest sting of frost kills the trunk.  So it's a difficult species for cooler climates.  Yet, you don't have to panic!  You can try the dwarfs of this species. The Dwarf Cavendish gets only to about 2m when mature.  the fruits are edible.  And the leaves have a beautiful red variegation!! When you think that's still a bit too big for you, perhaps the Super Dwarf Cavendish is something for you.  It only gets to 1,2m when mature.  And the fruits are edible too.  So you have no excuse at all for not trying a banana!!! Musa balbisiana This is a species that hasn't been tested propely in cool climates.  Some say it's quite hardy too, others don't.  Time will tell, I guess.  It comes from India, China, ... where it's growing in cooler and drier areas.  It really is a big guy in the banana family: in the wild it can reach up to 7m with leaves longer than 3m!!!  That probably won't happen in your garden though.  It's grown for its fibers sometimes. It is said to be an extremely fast grower. In Germany, in hte Flora, there's a big specimen that is growing outside all year long.   Good winter protection is of vital importance though.  I have a plant that will be tried in 2002 for the first time outside. Musa basjoo What can I say?  this is the most famous hardy banana.  And deservedly of course.  Not that this is NOT the fiber banana.  The real fiber banana is Mus&a balbisiana.  Musa basjoo doesn't produce fiber that is of remarkable strength.  It's a big, fast growing plant that can get in our climate to about 3,5m (in the wild to about 7m).  With lots of protection that reaches higher than the trunks, it will get even bigger.  It's very hardy, even without protection.  It should be able to take -15°C.  Of course, these numbers don't say much.  I  In reality, it's a bit different.  even this species perfers at least mulching during winter time.  Like that, it will certainly survive. Stems of 3 years old can flower.  The inflorescence of a banana is just splendid.  You'll see!!!!  It's not a disaster when your trunks are damaged by frost.  Cut them to a heithg were there's no damage.  They will just start growing from that point then. There are lots of ecotypes of this one too.  That means that it's a Musa basjoo, but the mohter plnat has survived extremely cold conditions.  So you could say that they are, genetaically, a bit different from the usual basjoo.  There's for instance Musa basjoo Saporro, Musa basjoo Sakhalin, ... .  When you live in a very cold climate and you can get a hold of such an ecotype, it will be better. Musa basjoo Fuji-Yama is not as hardy as the others, so it'll ask a bit more protection. So don't let people tell you the, that when they offer you a Musa Saporro, that it's a new species.  It isn't!!!!!!  It's just another ecotype, anohter form let's say, of the regular Musa basjoo. Musa basjoo has one disadvantage: the leaves don't really like windy weather. There's a variegated Musa basjoo too, but as far as I know, there are only two people in the world that have it (Jean-Luc Penninckx (Belgium) and Jos Van Der Palen (the Netherlands)) and it's not commercially available unfortunately.  It's Musa basjoo Fuji-Yama variegata.                                              Musa basjoo growing in my garden in Belgium Musa Goldfinger I have no idea whether this one is hardy or not.  I have read some positive experiences, so I describe it anyway.  It's always interesting to experiment of course. It's a 3m tall plant.  It's an artificial hybrid from Honduras.  This species is very wind resisting and pest free.  It's also called "apple-flavoured" banana, so you know what it will taste like when you get some bananas of it:-) Musa itinerans See Musa sp. Yunnan Musa Orinoco This is a big species from Venezuela (the Orinoco river, hence the name), and I have already read lots of positive experiences about it.  IT's a very big one, to 7m tall.  In 2002, I will be trying one for the first time outside here in Belgium. It's a very fast grower and it needs lots of water of course, like all of the other bananas. When you find that 7m is a bit too tall for you, don't worry, there's still Musa Dwarf Orinoco.  That's the dwarf version of the species and when mature, it will only reach to about 2m high.  It's also more wind resistant than Musa basjoo.  So do try it with the proper protection during winter time. Musa Rajapuri This is a most beautiful and promising species.  t's very wind resistant and quite hardy too.  Rajapuri produces edible fruits too, so what cold one possibly want more:-)) Furthermore, it's a dwarf in comparison with some other species.  It can grow to about 2m  high, so it's even possible to grow it in a big living room with some special care.  Like with lots of other hardy banana species, it's not possible to give a minimum temperature.  these plants haven't been tested properly yet, and you will have to experiment yourself and pass your experiences to others. Musa sikkimensis This is a very beautiful species.  It's also known under the name Musa hookerii, but the correct name is Musa sikkimensis.  It's a rather robust banana, that is even faster growing than Musa basjoo.  The leaves have a beautiful burgundy-red on the underside.  The midrib is burgundy too, and on some plnats the entire leaves have this colour. When it's 4m tall, it can flower.  But that will not happen very often in our climate.  This banana needs more warmth to grow well than eg. Musa basjoo.  Especially warm nights are required for success.  but once it gets started, there's nothing that can stop growth.  GIie it a lot of water, a warm spot and lots of fertilizer, and the plant will do the rest.  It's a gorgeous plant!!!!!                                         Musa sikkimensis growing in my garden in Belgium Musa sp. Thibet There's tsill very little known about this species.  It's still extremely rare in cultivation .  It has only been discovered recently in Tibet.  It's growing  there under the same conditions as Musa basjoo and the first reports state that it's very hardy.  So let's hope it will get more and more available in the future. Musa velutina Tis is another small banana that is said to be hardy, but I haven't really seen any proof of that.  It's a beautiful ornamental banana.  It will flower already when only 2m tall, and let me tell you, the inflorescence is really impressing.  It's not big at all, but it's a beautiful light pink, you will dash for your camera when you see it!!! I think it will lose its trunk for sure when kept outside.  And it will need a lot of warmth to regrow.  So when you have pretty cold winters but also very warm summers, you can give this one a try.  Otherwise, it's a must for the conservatory or the living room!! Musa sp. Yunnan A very hardy banana from Yunnan.  It has only recently been discovered.  After some time of confusion, now it has been identified as Musa itinerans.  At first, nobody knew what species it was, so they named it after the place of origin.  Genetical research has proven that Musa itinerans is related to Musa basjoo.  So perhaps also when it comes to hardiness? It's not possible yet to give a minimum temperature, but we can talk about the rest of the plant now. This banana can get to about 4m high.  Suckers can show up on places to 2m away from the mother plant!                                                          Musa velutina inflorescence Musella Musella lasiocarpa This doesn't really look like a banana, and it actually isn't really one iether.  It's closely related to Musa but it does have some distinct features. This plant gets bigger in cultivation than in the wild.  In cultivation it grows to about 2m.  It's extremely fast growing and  produces lots of suckers.  However, I should say also that some plants just don't seem to suckers much at all. It's said to be hardy to -8°C.  The most beautiful part of this plant will be for sure th flower.  The plant does seem a bit weak to bugs.  Mine is growing at lightning speed, but spider mite seems to like it just fine.                                                                            Musella flower Ensete Ensete glaucum This is a relatively new species, again from the Himalayas like so many other exciting exotic plants.  As the seeds have been distributed only in 2000, there's nobody who has experience with it. The pseudostem grows very rapidly to 5m, so you can say that it's a biggy.  There's not much known about the hardiness.  It may vary according to the origin of the seeds you get.   Taking the place of origin into account, it can have some more hardy varieties, but it's possible that you get seeds of plants growing further down south, on lower altitude, and then, of course, you have a lot more possibility of getting more sensitive plants. I recommend the same winter treatment as for Musa basjoo.  I must admit though, that my plnat of about 1.5m is having difficulty even in my greenhouse.  The tempeatre never goes below 5°C, and yet, all the leaves are gone and it seems that even the stem doesn't like long periods of cool conditions.  Perhaps I have a weaker plant, that's possible.  Many people need to experiment with it, and make the world know what the results are. I have to add too that you might find a banana called Ensete wilsonii.  This is botanically speaking not correct.  It's only a high altitude form of the Ensete glaucum.  So when you get Ensete wilsonii, it's very doubtfull that it really is Ensete wilsonii.  It's more likeley that it's Ensete glaucum, as the high altiutde forms are a lot less common.                                                       Ensete glaucum with inflorescence Ensete ventricosum This is one huge banana.  It can grow very fast to its adult 6m or more.  the only thing it needs to do that is lots of water and fertilizer.  It's easily grown from seeds. Its hardiness is perhaps not as good as for instance for Musa basjoo, but it's worth a try.  When you really don't wanna take the risk, then plant it in a pot.  The leaves are very frost sensitive.  It's possible that the trunk gets killed during winter, but it'll regrow when it hasn't been too cold.  As a matter of fact, when you think that your plant is too big, you can cut the trunk down and it'll just start all over. It's a fairly tender banana for cool climates.  But it's a fast grower, and it's so beautiful, so give it a try. The plants are variable when grown from seed.  Some have really red leaves, others only a rmidrib that is slightly coloured. It's normally a non suckering banana, but I have already seen plants that do sucker.                                                    A beautiful specimen of Ensete ventricosum Ensete ventricosum Maurellii This is a beautiful variety of Ensete ventricosum.  It gets as big, and is about as hardy, but the leaves are of a beautiful dark red dcolour.  Try not to drool too much over it when you have one:-))                                           A gorgeous plant of Ensete ventricosum Maurellii                                                            (Source: www.mulu.co.uk) Tree ferns Tree ferns are gorgeous ancient plnats.  earth used to be covered by these stunning ferns before the flowering plants came along.  Now, let's start with the name tree fern: yes, they really make a trunk unlike the usual ferns we have in our gardens and we can see in our forests in cold climates.  But it's not really the trunk of a "tree".  It doesn't have the same functions as the trunk of a real tree.  The trunk is just made up of remainigs of dead leaves and roots (Dicksonia's).  Cyathea's don't have that.  The trunk of a Cyathea is of a more woody substance and usually doesn't get as thick as the ones of Dicksonia's either. Species There are not so many genera, but there are lots of species.  the two main genera are Dicksonia and Cyathea.  There is also Cibotium, but that all are torpical species that normally won't survive much winters in cold climates. there are some other genera that could be qualified as tree ferns, but they aren't real tree ferns.  For instance Blechnum gibbum, Blechnum brasiliensis... .  These plants do make a small trunklike thing, but it's really fragile and not really like the trunks of other tree ferns. Other genera that you might meet, named "tree ferns" too: Lophosoria, Sadleria... . Dicksonia is a more "modest" genus than Cyathea.  There are hundreds of Cyathea's(more than 800), and some are quite hardy.  Dicksonia has only about 25 species. The differnece between these two genera is: Cyathea's have scales on the croziers (unfolding fonrds), and Dicksonia's don't have that.  Leaves of Dicksonia are normally more leathery too, but that's not really useful for a beginner isn't it. General cultivation information There is only one thing that you absolutely have to know before you get yourself into this: when the trunk of a tree fern dries out, it's all over.  Normally, the plntas don't recover from that. So make sure your plants get enough water during warm sunny/windy weather!!!!!!  The rest will be done by the plants.  You'll see some species are extremely fast growers, so don't forget to fertilize in time.  Some support full sun, but most of them prefer some shade.  Others don't support any direct sun light at all, so make sure you know what you do! Cyathea Cyathea australis This is a most beautiful tree fern from Australia.  It is found even at high altitude where it often is growing together with Dicksonia antarctica.  Cyathea australis perfers more sun though.  (It is said that the plants don't like shade but in my experience, it won't really harm them.) It's a relatively slow grower in comparsion to some other species.  ut I have to say that's not really true when you can give it good growing conditions, this means lots of water.  I bought a very young plant in Germany and already after one year of growth, it had doubled in size.  It does take more time to form a trunk. The trunk can get up to more than 3m, and under the right conditions even up to 6m! One of the most exciting things about tree ferns is that their fronds can get so big: here they get 4.5m long! Another reason why you should try this amazing plant: it's one of the hardiest tree ferns!  In the region wher eit comes from, it loses in almost every winter its fronds, and there's always frost and snow.  People have told me already that they have this tree fern in their garden and their plants survived -8°C with only frond damage, and the heart of the plant still intact.  newly unculring corziers are very hardy too, even better than the ones of Dicksonia antarctica. In the United States, tree ferns are often offered under this name, but unfortunately, it's not the realy australis, it's most of the time Cyathea cooperi.                                                                Cyathea australis in the wild.                          Source: www.anbg.gov.au/projects/fern/images/ ; picture of Fagg., M Cyathea Brentwood This is not really a species of its own.  It's in fact a form of Cyathea cooperi listed here below.  this one gets to 6m or more and is a bitmore graceful than the species itself.  It's a fast grower, even faster than the fast C. cooperi.  It's bigger in all of its aspects than the species.  The plant can withstand some frost, but not much, only a couple of degrees.  The fronds will get to 2-3m. Cyathea brownii This is one of the most impressive tree fens on eaerth.  It's probably the biggest one with its 30m and fronds of 6m long!!!!!  This will probably not happen in cultivation, but it still stays a very big, if not huge, tree fern.  In cultivation, Cyathea medullaris may get slightly bigger.  It doesn't only get huge, it also grows at lightning speed.  Even young plants can grow like crazy when given enough water and some fertilizer.  (This species responds well to fertilizer.)  It can take several degrees of frost too, and is worth a try (with protection of course) in zone 8b. It will always recover as it's such a fast grower. It prefers some shade, especially in warmer climates.  I have seen that my plnats has some dry tips sometimes when it has been in the hot sun.  So no, I keep it in shade, and it's doing great.                                                                   Cyathea brownii                                   (Source: www.geocities.com/rlhill47/Cyat-brow.html) Cyathea cooperi This is a fast growing tree fern, so well suited for impatient gardeners, just like Cyathea brownii.  It's one of the most common tree ferns available, together with Dicksonia antarctica.  It's not nearly as hardy as Dicksonia antarctica though. There are several forms in cultivation fo this tree fern, like 'Brentwood', mentioned earlier.  The trunk gros very quickly under the right (so wet and not too cold) conditions to 10m high or more with fronds of about 2.5m. It's not very hardy, and usually dies when temperatures drop below -6°C.  You can protect it properly, and you may be succesful, but without protection, it won't survive very long in my opinion.  It's very easy to raise them from spores, but first read a manual for growing tree ferns from spores as this really is pretty difficult. Cyathea dealbata This is a most stunning tree fern.  The undrside of the fronds is silver when the fronds get a bit older.  An adult can reach up to 10m and the ronds can get to 4m long!  It's a very impressive plant.  It's about as cold hardy as Cyathea australis too, so don't let cold hardiness stop you from trying this one. I must say that this species really demands lots of water.  Even the air must be humid at all times.  My plant always gets dry fronds during the warmest summer months, not because I don't water it enjough, but just because of the dry air.  So when you really  have hot dry summers, this one is perhaps not so well suited. Cyathea dregei Almost all of the tree ferns listed here come from Australia, but this one doesn't: it's from Africa. It's a fairly big tree fern, and what's more important to us: it's pretty hrady!!! The plant itself makes a trunk of about 3m high, with a diametre of sometimes 50cm!  The gronds get to 3m. Now, why should we be so excited about this tree fern.  Well, because of the hardiness.  It's a South-African species that grows from the tropicas to regions with very harsh winters.  During these cold winters, the plants lose their fronds.  Their winters are very dry though, it never rains.All the rain has to come in summer.  Frost is not rare at all, and even snow is present.  A disadvantage is the slow growth.  Fronds do grow pretty regularly, bu the trunk is very slow. This means that you can give this one a try in your garden, but make sure it's not too wet during winter, and that it never dries out in summer. Cyathea medullaris This really is a giant, together with Cyahtea brownii.  Cyathea medullaris will probably be the biggest tree fern in cultivation. 10m is nothing for this tree fern and the fronds easily get to 4m loing.  It's a very fast grower too.  This plant will take full sun and wind, but I think some shade will be best. It's not really very hardy, but you may want to try it.  It's such a fast grower that it would be able to recover very fast too.  It's growing in England too, so perhaps why not somehwere else? Just try not to drool over this stunning plant!! Cyathea smithii This is another biggy, but not as big as C. brownii or C. medullaris.  The trunk can get up to 8m.  Cyathea smithii grows naturally under coold and moist conditions.  The most exciting thing is that it should be pretty hardy, especially when older. The plnats hates drought, so never let it dry out.  It prefers a shady position and is not suited for climates with hot summers.  An imitation of a forest surounding would probably be best for this species.  But once the plants get older, they can take more and more sun. Cyathea tomentosissima Thisis a very beautiful and small tree fern.  When adult it's only about 2.5m high and the fronds normally don't get bigger than 1.5m.  It's a steady grower, but not as fast as most other tree ferns.  Cyathea tomentosissima loves some shade and wet conditions, just like all tree ferns.  But mine has proven to be very drought tolerant too, so even in hot climates, there's a good chance to success. It is said to be pretty hrady too.  It is said to have survived -9°C in England.  So with the proper protection definitely worth a try! It's also a bit different in appearance than the other tree ferns: it's a hairy plant, hence the English name "Dwarf Wooly Tree Fern". Dicksonia Dicksonia antarctica This is probably the most common tree fern in cultivation all over the world, although not always the best suited perhaps.  It's a big tree fern, but also a terribly slow grower.   an dadult plant has a trunk of about 8m (most of the time less though, especially in cultivation) and frond of 3m.  The plnat only produces about 3 cm of truink in one year.  under optimal conditions, perhaps a bit more, but it won't be much.  This means that a plnat with 30 cm of trunk is already more than 10 years old!  This explains why olders plants are pretty expensive. Now, let's get to the advantages of this plnat, because it's, in my opinion, a beauty and should be treid a lot more.  First of all, it's very cold hardy.  Plants have survived -14°C in Germany with only losing the fronds.  There are lots of plnats in England that have already been thriving there for many years too.  So do try one. It can take full sun too, and even hot climates don't seem to bother it, as long as the trunk doesn't dry out and it's given some fertilizer from time to time. Never ever let the trunk dry out, because that's the ende of your beautiful tree fern.  On warm days, especially when it's windy too, you should water profusely.  It's hard to overwater a tree fern like this!! Dicksonia fibrosa This is a very beautiful, smaller tree fern.  It's very similar to Dicksonia antarctica, but a lot smaller.  An adult plant only has a trunk of about 5m and the fronds only get to 2m.  It's well suited for places where Dicksonia antarctica would be too big. Dicksonia fibrosa is very easy to grow and not a slow as D. antarctic.  And ... the best of all, it's almost as hardy as D. antarctica too!!!!  It can take full sun, but needs enough water at all times.  Best is to plant it in some shade, and not exposed to extreme cold. Dicksonia lanata There's not much to say about this one.  It's not a big one, and very rare.  If you find one in cultivation, you're very lucky. It only makes a trunk of about 2m, and it tends to fall over, so you don't even notice that it can make a trunk then.  It's pretty cold hardy though, to at least -6°C. Dicksonia sellowiana This one is very similar to D. antarctica again, also in size.  But this one comesz from Cnetral and South America.  From Mexico to Argentine, this magnificent tree fern is growing. Hardiness will be pretty variable as it's growing in tropical but also in cooler climates.  So I think it'll depend on where your plant comes from whether it'll be cold hardy or cold sensitive. There's a variety of D. sellowiana, Dicksonia sellowiana var. gigantea.  This suckering tree fern gets very big.  It is often called Dicksonia gigantea. D. sellowiana produces suckers, unlike D. Antarctica. Dicksonia squarrosa This is one of my favourite tree ferns.  It's a fast grower, it's pretty hardy and it's so beautiful.  It's a suckering species that can get up to 6m tall and fronds of 2m long.  The underside of the fronds is a bit silvery. It produces a slender trunk.  the plnat comes from very wet areas, so never let it dry out. There's not much more to say: it's beautiful, pretty hardy (needs always good protection though; it's not as hardy as D. antarctica or D. fibrosa) and a very fast grower.  It has everything for success in my opinion. Lately there have been imported masses of these tree ferns into Europe, but very often sold under a wron name and the plnats are in terrible ondition.  Sellers most of the tme don't even know what they are selling.  So be careful when you  buy it in a local garden centre. Dicksonia yougniae This is another rare Dicksonia.  It's very similar to D. squarrosa, but it has a weaker trunk and red "haris".  It's also suckering.  It's perhaps a bit less cold hardy than D. Squarrosa even.  It can't stand heat and needs moist conditions to grow well.