There is no fruit more representative of the tropics than the banana. However, other than frost-free areas in South Florida, Texas, and Southern California, you rarely see fruiting bananas in the garden. While there are a number of dwarf ornamental banana varieties available that can add a tropical look to your landscape, most fruiting varieties are hard to manage since they grow into large trees and take a long time to produce.

That’s just changed with the introduction of the ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ banana (Musa 'Dwarf Lady Finger'). This variety only grows only 5 feet tall and produces sweet, 4- to 5-inch-long fruit in only 8 to10 months after planting. Since the plant is a manageable size, ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ grows well in a container indoors or outdoors. Keep it well watered and fertilized all summer for best growth and, in all but the warmest climates, bring the plant indoors into a sunny room in the fall for the winter. ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ is hardy to USDA zone 8.

For more information on the ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ banana, go to: Logees Greenhouses.