Green /Cavendish Banana ๐
Cavendish bananas are the most common variety. They are the long yellow, slightly sweet bananas at supermarkets around the U.S. They go from under-ripe green to perfectly ripe and still firm mellow yellow, to riper deep yellow with a brown spot or two, to super soft and browning. The perfect ripeness depends on personal taste.
Plant Type
Fruit Tree / Evergreen Perennial Herb
Did you know? The banana plant is actually an evergreen perennial herb, not a tree! The large โtrunkโ is actually a pseudostem, which is made of bulky, leafy layers that emerge and wither over time.ย
Harvest Season
Year-round
With good care, bananas will fruit within the first 15-18 months of planting.ย
Mature Size
6-10 ft. ย Banana plants can be grown easily in containers and overwintered indoors if needed.
Banana plants are fast-growing, and prone to reproducing new plants through mini clones known as suckers.
Soil & Moisture
Rich, moist well-drained soil, nitrogen-rich soil, and humid conditions similar to their native areas tropical and subtropical regions.ย In well-drained soil, bananas can almost never get enough water, sunlight, and nutrients.ย
Light Requirements
Full Sun, Part Shade
Self-Fertile
Yes
Growth Rate
Fast
Zone Hardiness
Outdoors 7-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+