Hi I saw some beautiful ensete maurelii at Home Depot yesterday. I was wondering if they would grow well in this area?

You would have to accept the fact that they die back in the winter - or take them inside. But if left outside and heavily mulched they might come back the next year.

I'm in zone 8a as well and I put my Maurelii in the ground and l mulched it really well and it never came back but I'm thinking it's because we had a wetter than normal winter. Since then I dig up all my banana in the Fall and overwinter them in pots.

Thanks Hetty and Xeramtheum Do you think the corm would survive in an unheated shed? Last year I overwintered one of my banana plants, and only a small amount of the pseudostem died. I have very limited room and window space, but I'm still tempted to grow one.

unheated is fine as long as it doesn't freeze.

I keep mine in the unheated utility room in which the temperature never gets below 40.

I think my shed is pretty insulated, and there are plenty of stacks of cardboard boxes along the edges.

It should do ok .. you want to keep the soil around the corm barely moist. I wait until the temperatures consistently get into the mid to upper 40's at night then cut it back to about 6 inches, dig it up a few days later and put it in a pot then in the utility room - that way it won't be inclined to grow.

Ok thanks so much for information Xeramtheum. Cutting it back to 6 inches would definitely save on room.

You're welcome!

I was gunna suggest the same thing, u can dry store the corm in a lil box anywhere, just check it for rot, or dryness once every few weeks...
U can likely reduce the size of the plant to that if a shoebox...I bet u have room for that!

That's a great idea. I definitely have room for a shoebox

I have been growing Ensete for three yrs.I have a way of overwintering unobtrusively and it will fire back up in the Spring.

1. Cut all the leaves off save the last in the Fall before a hard freeze.
2. Place the plant top side down (on like some steps outside or inside; whatever) at like a 30 degree angle overnight to rid the petiole attachments to the pseudostem of any left over water from rains or watering (obviously do this in a place that will not freeze overnight). BE CAREFUL that you do not bruise the pseudostem...
3. Cut off the bottom half of the root system all the way around,
4. Loosen and remove excess soil.
5. Place in as small a pot as you can (literally).
6. Now wait for Spring for it to wake up.
7. When it wakes up fill the pot it is in (should not need much) with 50/50 good potting soil / Perlite mix.
8. Water slightly and as it grows, give it a little more water as it grows, etc; etc, and in no time it will be ready to go back out and give you the visual delight you deserve from it! Maybe even a flower stalk.

Those are some good tips Drew When I went back to Home Depot a couple of weeks later, they were gone. If I see them next year I'll have more confidence growing one.

Glad that I could help out. Thank you everyone and especially you Elaine; for the Acorns.

So, Drew, are you saying that you overwinter yours in a frost free place?

Yes, I n my garage.

Thanks. I haven't bought one yet, but I may.

I think you will be glad that you did!