buffy

I had two Maurelli in the ground last winter. They experienced just under 25F. My Basjoo and Maurelli are the first to show new growth with any warming temperatures. In fact, my Basjoo is in bloom right now. Zone 9A is a valid rating for this plant. I doubt it can take below 20F consistently and survive. Remember, Zone Rating is based on average ultimate low. Zone 9A plants will see below 20F periodically.

I've mentioned this before, but I'll point it out again. In reality the Maurelli pseudostem is pretty cold hardy when compared to other cold hardy bananas. The difference between the Ensete and Musa is the fact that the Ensete cannot regenerate if the main pseudostem dies (I'm obviously not talking about the controlled propagation by slicing up the corm). The Musa just sends up a pup and away it goes. That's why the Musa can survive much lower temperatures overall than Ensete.