Posts Tagged ‘hardiest’

The Hardiest Bananas

September 29th, 2007

A List of Cold-Hardy Bananas

Bananas can add an instant tropical look to any landscape. They are fast-growing, with huge, tropical-looking leaves. Although the cold-hardy temperate varieties listed below rarely fruit in colder climates, they are valuable for their dramatic foliage.

Musa basjoo has long been considered the hardiest banana. It should be hardy to zone 6, and it has been overwintered in zone 5 with a heavy mulch.

Musella lasiocarpa and Musa sikkimensis have also been recognized as very hardy, although preliminary trials suggest that they are slightly less hardy than Musa basjoo.

Musa Basjoo

Here are some popular hardy bananas to try growing in your garden:

  • Musa basjoo (Japanese fiber banana)
  • Musella lasiocarpa (Chinese yellow banana)
  • Musa sikkimensis (Sikkim banana)

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The Hardiest Palms

September 28th, 2007

A surprising number of palms can survive in cold-winter climates. The most cold-hardy palms are usually found naturally growing in high elevations, or in colder inland areas, less moderated by ocean influences. For example, palms in the genus Trachycarpus are found growing in high alititudes in the Himalayas, and native stands of Sabal Minor are found as far inland as Oklahoma. Below is a list of palms that may have the greatest chance of success in cold climates.

In general, clump-forming palms, those with a shrub-like form, are hardier than arborescent, or trunked palms.

Shrub-Like Palms

  • Rhapidophyllum Hystrix (Needle Palm) : Zone 6
  • Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) : Zone 6
  • Serenoa Repens (Saw Palmetto) : Zone 7b

Arborescent Palms

  • Trachycarpus Fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm) : Zone 7
  • Trachycarpus Takil (Kumaon Palm) : Zone 7
  • Trachycarpus Wagnerianus (Miniature Chusan Palm) : Zone 7
  • Sabal Palmetto (Cabbage Palm) : Zone 7b
  • Butia Capitata (Jelly Palm) : Zone 8

The hardiness ratings listed above are estimates, and assume minimal winter protection. For some palms, hardiness may increase as they become more well-established.

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The Hardiest Bamboos

September 26th, 2007

Zone 5-6 Bamboos

Certain species of bamboo can survive temperatures as low as -20°F. Below is a list of cold-hardy bamboos compiled by members of the American Bamboo Society. Although the plants will most likely not be killed by the temperatures listed below, they will often die back and regrow from the ground at these extreme minimums. If they experience these temperatures on an annual basis, they may not reach their full growth potential.

Zone 6b Bamboos (-5°F):

  • Indocalamus sp. ‘solidus’
  • Indocalamus tessellatus
  • Phyllostachys mannii
  • Phyllostachys nigra ‘Hale’ (Black bamboo)
  • Phyllostachys purpurata ‘straight stem’
  • Phyllostachys rubromarginata
  • Phyllostachys viridis
  • Phyllostachys viridis ‘Houzeau’
  • Phyllostachys vivax (Running giant bamboo)
  • Sasa palmata (Palm-leaved bamboo)
  • Sasa senanensis
  • Semiarundinaria fastuosa
  • Semiarundinaria fastuosa viridis
  • Shibataea kumasaca albostriata
  • Shibataea lancifolia

Zone 6a Bamboos (-10°F):

  • Arundinaria gigantea (Giant cane)
  • Arundinaria gigantea subsp. tecta (Switch cane)
  • Fargesia dracocephala (Dragon’s head bamboo)
  • Phyllostachys atrovaginata
  • Phyllostachys aureosulcata (Yellow groove bamboo)
  • Phyllostachys aureosulcata alata
  • Phyllostachys aureosulcata aureocaulis
  • Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Harbin’
  • Phyllostachys aureosulcata spectabilis
  • Phyllostachys bissetii
  • Phyllostachys propinqua
  • Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens
  • Pleioblastus fortunei
  • Sasamorpha borealis
  • Shibataea chinensis
  • Shibataea kumasaca

Zone 5 Bamboos (-20°F):

  • Fargesia murieliae (Umbrella bamboo)
  • Fargesia nitida (Fountain bamboo)
  • Phyllostachys nuda

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