NYC would be zone 6b/6a, so for year-round outdoor planting that limits you to Musa Basjoo, and even that will need to be heavily mulched in winter. The most common supermarket banana these days is Gran Nain.

Hi,
just FYI, I'm quite sure you wouldn't get bananas in NYC from a banana plant outside, not a long enuff warm period.

Just a minor correction, NYC is a solid zone 7, been 30 yrs since we've seen close to 0F, rarely do we get below 10F. Record low is -15F, 1934. Most records seem to be late 1800's and early 1900's, makes you wonder how accurate their records were...or the earth really is getting warmer.

And there is no way that any banana can ripen on the plant in one growing season without lots of help.

Gardennut, search this forum for overwintering methods and with a little luck and the right resources you might be able to pull it off and get some decent fruit. I've seen fruiting trees in garden center greenhouses.

Musa basjoo would be hardy in your area. It is ornamental and not edible, but is great for a tropical look.

Edible varieties, like dwarf Cavendish, are very tender and must be brought in over winter, then planted in the ground in the summer to maximize growth. If you have a way of overwintering this large plant inside, and a place to plant it in the ground in summer, you could get edible bananas after several years. You'll need a very large pot as it grows. Remove most pups to encourage growth and bloom of main plant.

Here's a Raja puri I got to flower in my garden, but it was too large to bring in for the winter. That's why I would recommend a dwarf variety.

{{gwi:416840}}

Well, i guess i will have to pass on the banana tree then. Thanks for the input, will have to find another edible plant to grow.