Can I Grow Bananas in Hot Climates like Arizona

If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to vacay or even live in a tropical place, one of the things you’re sure to remember are the banana trees.  Nothing screams tropical like a banana.  We’re all trying to capture a piece of the tropics in our daily lives whether it be in our landscape or a photo in our office. 

The tropics seem to bring a sense of rest and relaxation.  Well if you live in a warmer climate you may just be able to grow some of those banana’s in your backyard.

Can I grow Banana’s outside of the tropics? It’s definitely possible to grow banana’s in non-tropical areas of the world, as long as your climate stays fairly warm.  Otherwise, it would require a greenhouse to protect them from cold winters.  It’s possible to grow bananas outdoors down to Zone 8, but getting them to fruit in those zones will be a challenge.

Challenges when Growing Banana Plants outside of the Tropics

As you may expect, when trying to grow a fruit tree out of it’s native environment, you’re going to face challenges.  With that being said, as long as you have a basic understanding of the needs of the banana and how to make your environment more hospitable, you can produce bananas in a marginal climate. 

If you’re in those areas like zones 8 or 9, let’s start by taking a look at some of the challenges you’ll face.  Knowing the potential problems will help you be better prepared.

Cold

So this is the obvious one.  Banana’s grow in warm regions of the world for a reason.  They’re happy on an island that doesn’t ever see freezing temps, but are still considered subtropical.  If you’re in an area that is generally warm most of the year, you can have success with bananas. 

They can tolerate brief exposures of upper 20 degrees Fahrenheit and will survive at the roots down into the low 20’s.  The tops and leaves will all die back when exposed to these types of conditions.  When the banana is allowed to freeze back, it delays the fruiting process which can hinder the production. 

If it’s freezing back every winter, you most likely won’t get any fruit, so it’s important to occasionally help the banana through the winter.  When planting, think about the areas in your yard that stay the warmest during the colder months of the year.  It often helps planting these near structures, or the home.  Check out my post: How to Protect Tropical Fruit Trees from Cold.

Wind

In our area we have monsoons throughout the summer months which bring high wind gusts.  Since Bananas have such large leaves they catch the wind and are prone to being blown over.  Hot, dry winds really thrash the leaves of the tree leaving a shredded mess.  It’s really important to plant in an area where there is some wind protection. 

Planting in corners of the yard with protection from structures or in densely planted areas can help.  Getting varieties that are more compact or dwarf are also beneficial.  When fruiting, it’s typically necessary to stake the tree as the weight of the fruit can cause the tree to bend over.

Rot

It’s important not to over-water your bananas as they will rot easily.  In the summer months they will want a good amount of water, they’re a tropical plant.  In the winter you may not need to water at all, if so it will be infrequent.  Cold and wet is a recipe for disaster for bananas. 

Planting Tips

When growing your bananas outside of the tropics, there are a few things you can do to ensure that they will thrive.  Let’s take a look at some tips to help your bananas flourish and produce in your climate. 

Heavy Feeders

Banana’s like to eat.  These trees are rapid growers.  You’ll want to ensure that they’re planted in fertile soil with a lot of organic material.  Using manure and compost is key to successfully growing banana’s.  This will supply a steady stream of nutrients for the plant.

Drainage

Banana’s do not like heavy soil and require drainage.  Again, adding organic material and lava sand will help improve drainage.  Utilizing gypsum for heavy clay can also help. I recommend trying: SoilLogic’s Liquid “Gypsum” for faster results. See my post on How to Amend Clay soil for fruit trees.  Planting on a slight mound is another way to help the water run away from the corm. 

Leach the Salts

If you live in an area like Phoenix Arizona or other parts of the world with little rainfall, you know that salt buildup becomes an issue for plants.  With little rainfall, the salts from fertilizers, city water, and the soil tend to sit on the upper layers. 

It’s important to periodically leach the salts away from your tree roots by soaking the area on a slow drip for a long period of time.   Using gypsum a few times a year while flooding can also help pull the salts away from the root zone.  Banana plants, like most tropical fruit trees, don’t like salt buildup.

Sun Exposure

In the desert where our sun is extreme, it’s beneficial for bananas to get early morning sun until noon and then shade, especially the first year.   As they mature they can handle a bit more shade.  When they’re exposed to our intense sun all day, they will sun scald and it can lead to rot which kills the plant. 

Using a shade cloth can be beneficial if you don’t have a spot that naturally gets afternoon shade.  If your climate doesn’t consistently get over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then planting them in all day sun isn’t as big of an issue. 

Varieties to Consider

Amazingly there are over 1000 different varieties growing throughout the world.  We tend to only have one variety available to us in grocery stores which is the Cavendish variety.  As previously noted, dwarf varieties are going to be your best bet for producing fruit in hot, dry climates.  Here are a few that have shown promise in the Phoenix, Arizona area:

Manzano

A variety that is pretty common for our area.  It can grow up to 14ft and may need some support.  This variety has a hint of apple flavor and is a bit more cold tolerant.

Grand Nain

It grows to around 8-10ft.  It’s of the Cavendish family and the variety you’ll recognize from the store. 

Musa Dwarf Green

It matures at around 6ft.  This variety has beautiful thick green leaves, which hold up better to wind.

Dwarf Orinoco

A compact variety with a thick trunk that grows to about 6ft.  Another that is fairly cold hardy.

Dwarf Red

As the name suggests it produces red skin and foliage.  It tops out at about 8ft and is a bit more of a challenge to grow in our area. 

Nam Wah

Another type variety for our area.  It generally grows to around 8ft and tends to handle our extreme heat and light frosts well. 

Goldfinger

These can reach 14ft in height and have a thick trunk. It has a similar taste to the Manzano and is fairly wind tolerant.

Raja Puri

This is your best bet for our area.  It’s fairly drought tolerant, has a thicker truck, and is around 8-10ft

Blue Java (Ice Cream)

Known for it’s ice cream like taste and texture.  It can struggle with our winds reaching around 15 ft in height, but is one many local gardeners attempt to grow.