Your cart is currently empty!
How fast does a banana tree grow?
Banana plants grow incredibly quickly, sometimes reaching maturity in less than a year. Some varieties may take a year or two to reach full size, but they are still very fast growers!
Many factors can influence the speed of growth, including light levels, watering, nutrients, climate, and placement. Give your banana tree the conditions closest to its native habitat for the quickest growth possible.
Banana tree growth rates
Banana trees grow incredibly fast for their large size. They can grow from a small potted baby plant to a 15-foot tall towering tree in about a year’s time.
The banana tree is not botanically classified as a tree at all. Due to its structure, it is technically considered a perennial herb and one of the largest herbs in the world. Despite their peculiar shape, the fruits are also technically berries rather than in a class of their own.
Cultivated for its fruit around 8 000 years ago, likely looking very different than the bananas we have today, these trees have remained popular for thousands of years. With an interesting tropical look and ease of care, banana trees are wonderful plants to grow both indoors and out.
Time to maturity
Banana trees are known to grow incredibly quickly, maturing in as little as 9 months in ideal environments. Certain cultivars and plants in less-than-optimal conditions may take a couple of years to reach full size.
Other trees are generally known to be slow growers. It can take decades for many species of woody trees to reach their predicted height. Luckily, as we already know, banana trees are not technically trees, taking them out of this slow-growing category.
Again, the exact times will depend on your chosen variety. Some may develop quicker, while others need a full year or two to reach their full potential. But overall, banana trees grow incredibly fast for their size. You can also expect fruits shortly after maturity, often in as little as one year.
Mature height
There are hundreds of different species and cultivars of banana tree, each with unique heights and other characteristics. Many commonly cultivated types grow to around 12 feet tall when mature. However, there are dwarf varieties that can stop growing around 5 feet, and much taller ones that can grow well beyond 20 feet in the right conditions.
When growing outdoors, mature height isn’t much of a concern. As long as you can still reach the fruit for harvest, you can grow shorter or taller trees without fuss. But when growing in pots, predicted height is incredibly important. For container growing, it’s best to stick to dwarf bananas that won’t outgrow their ceiling space or the container they are planted in.
Factors that can influence speed of growth
If your banana tree is growing slower than expected, there are a couple of factors to consider that may be influencing growth.
Sunlight
Banana trees are sunlight lovers. The more hours of direct sunlight they receive in a day, the better. If your banana tree is planted in partial shade, it will not grow quickly and will ultimately struggle to produce fruits. Give them a minimum of 8 hours direct sunlight per day, preferably more, for the best growth possible.
Watering
To fuel their quick growth, banana trees guzzle tons of water. Relying on rain only or forgetting to water when the weather is warm can dramatically slow growth and lead to a number of problems with your tree. Water deeply at least once per week, increasing the frequency to around three times per week during hot summer periods.
Nutrients
Along with high water use comes high nutrient uptake. Even when planted in fertile soil, your banana tree will grow much quicker with an added boost of nutrients once per season. This can also help with fruit development, giving you better chances of a harvest within the year.
Temperature
With so many different species and cultivars, there is a banana tree for growing in most climates (although you’ll need to take them indoors if temperatures approach freezing).
If you plant the wrong type in the wrong zone, particularly if temperatures dip too low for the species that require warmth to grow, you will see much slower or even completely stunted growth. Make sure you check the requirements of the tree carefully before planting.
Leave a Reply