Over a period of years, we’ve tried three different clones of the Eastern Himalayan (India to Myanmar) native banana, Musa ornata, with no luck getting them to survive. We finally gave up, concluding that it simply wasn’t winter hardy here, living up to its on-line reputation of being a Zone 9-11 plant. That was before Alabama plantsman, Hayes Jackson, shared a form that had been hardy for him in Anniston, Alabama. After four winters at JLBG, we can safely say that Musa ornata ‘Anniston’ is a winner. Not only does it survive, but if flowers heavily late summer and fall, as you can see by the current photo, below. We’ll start digging offsets in the hope we can propagate enough to eventually share. Hardiness Zone 7b-11.
