Banana
Banana is a fruit in the Musaceae family. It grows best in full sun with high moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Banana
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tropical (division of pups) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Tropical fruit; bold foliage. Note: Not woody - a giant herb; cold-hardy types and container culture extend its range.
Banana (Musa acuminata) is a fast tropical giant herb grown from suckers (pups) for fruit and dramatic foliage; frost-tender, it is grown in containers or as a foliage plant in cold climates.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Musa acuminata|Hardiness zones: 9-11|Propagation: division (pups)|Light: Full sun|Water: High|Mature size: 6-20 feet
Plan your banana planting
Add banana to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate ripe fruit; ripen firm fruit at room temperature.
- Freeze: Freezes well raw; spread on a tray first so pieces stay loose.
- Preserve: Make jam or water-bath can high-acid fruit.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for banana yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.