Dwarf Banana Tree

If you want to keep a dwarf banana tree, you can for instance pick Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish'.

Family: Musaceae
Genus: Musa
Species: acuminata
Cultivar: Dwarf Cavendish

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6° C (20° F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8° C (25° F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1° C (30° F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7° C (35° F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5° C (40° F)

Just like many other edible bananas, this dwarf banana tree is derived from Musa acuminata. The main group of edible bananas is derived from Musa acuminata and/or Musa balbisiana. So, how can we know that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is derived from Musa acuminata only, without any involvement from Musa balbisiana? You can derive this information from the formal name of a banana variety. The formal name for Dwarf Cavendish is Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish', and this name tells us that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is a triploid, i.e. that it has three sets of chromosomes, and that all these chromosome sets hail from Musa acuminate. When one or several sets of chromosomes hail from Musa balbisiana, the letter B is used to denote this. A banana called Musa (AAB group) 'Rajapuri' will consequently be a triploid where two sets of chromosomes hail from Musa acuminata and one from Musa balbisiana.

This dwarf banana tree can grow rather tall, up to 2.5 meters (8 feet), but it is still a dwarf compared to most other banana variants. Under most conditions, a Dwarf Cavendish will reach a height of at least 1.8 meters (6 feet). It is a tropical, tender perennial that prefers sun or partial shade. The recommended spacing is 2.5-3.0 metres (8-10 feet).

A Dwarf Cavendish should ideally be planted in acidic or mildly acidic soil where the pH-value stays within the 5.6-6.5 range. Do not let your dwarf banana plant dry out between waterings; it will do best in consistently moist soil. 

The green foliage is smooth-textured and can easily rip if you place your dwarf banana tree in a spot where it will be subjected to strong winds or other forms of wear and tear. Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish' will bloom during mid summer and the flower is of a bright yellow color. The Dwarf Cavendish plant propagates by dividing rhizomes and propagations by seeds is impossible.

Just like all the other Cavendish bananas, this dwarf banana tree is resistant to the original strain of Panama Wilt disease. During the 1950s, Panama Wilt disease wiped out the then extensively grown and exported banana cultivar named Gros Michel (Big Mike) and caused immense problems for numerous tropical countries that relied heavily on banana exports. The search for a replacement ended up in Vietnam where the ancestor of the Cavendish banana was found. This banana has today been developed into a wide range of different varieties, including the Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish'. Panama Wilt disease is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and cannot be combated with fungicide. Unfortunately, a new strain of Panama Wilt – the 'tropical race four Panama disease' – has began to spread throughout South East Asia and this strain seem to be able to attack Cavendish bananas as well.