Try a musa basjoo.....just to give you an example,I am in Canada where it gets really cold and freezing, and after reading here and on a popular banana forum, I was told to go for this one, as it withstands up to -29 degrees.

I bought the plants for $15.99 and they were in 15cm pots, here they are Mid Feb 2008

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The same plants today March 22 2008

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Notice the growth difference and pups?

Ensete ventricosum grows really fast in cool weather, so you'd get alot of growth out of them when others haven't taken off yet. Like Glasweigan said, cold hardy types generally start growing before edible varities, Musa sikkimensis, and it's hybrids start growing very early.

When I lived in central NJ I asked the Banana Tree guy, in Easton, Pa, what was the fastest fruiting and the cold hardiest naner. The Dwf Orinoco, he said, hands down. Forget about height - the greater size, the longer time to fruit. Believe me, my Saba is supposed to take 2 years to produce fruit, and with my weather, I expect 35 foot tall - at the leaf emergence. And with a 2 foot caliper too. I have several DO's in pots. Let me know. A nice sized corm should fruit in 7 - 9 months up north if properly ferted and topdressed with good manure. And lots of water!!!

Dan

Thanks all,I have several M.basjoo,rowe red and yunnan and some kind of dwarf which I will plant (along with others) in the ground in about a month should fruit this year as it is going on its 4th summer and I don't think it will grow much taller.

I dont know how it would grow for you but Kandahar Giant is awesome.It out performed my 6year old Basjoo in its first year.I fertilized it like I was trying to kill it,like all my Bananas.I got mine off Epay but theres none listed right now. I left it in the ground this year with just pinestraw mulch,looks good so far.I would like to trade one of the pups for a Red-Rib,Ensete ventricosum.
My Black Thai also was a large surpize,may have pups of these also.Looking for Red Tiger,Snow Banana and Superbum.
I dont mean to jack your thread,just thought Id put it out there.I always enjoy reading your threads Jim,Good Luck...T

If you're just looking for size for landscaping/looks purposes, the tall ladyfinger has been one of the fastest growing bananas for me. I'm just getting in some Kandarian- they are supposed to be really large at maturity, but I don't know how fast they grow yet. I have a saba which is just huge, but the saba doesn't seem to be fast growing. It's taken me 2 years to get it to 10 feet, which is supposed to be about half grown height. Thai black seems to be fast growing too, but I haven't been able to keep one to see how fast it goes part 2 feet. Up to 2 feet from 3 inches tc, is about 6-8 weeks. If you're looking for fruit, one of the faster producing seems to be dwarf namwah. Bordelon is also a fast grower and easy to carry overwinter, but about the best I've been able to get out them is around 10 feet. Basjoo isn't the fastest, but it does have the advantage of being hardy, which means it will come up and gain height in subsequent years faster, like any perennial that's well established. Anyway, if you have any questions about any of these, PM me. Ensete are fast tall growing in the second year, they tend to be wide and short the first year.

Updating my own thread here but.....

So far the fastest Banana I have watched grow is Black Thai,
mine went from 4" to 12' in one "summer".

Not to mention(but I will)they are really beautiful!