Having seen pictures of southern California CRFG members on FB harvesting what they believed were Gros Michael bananas, I ordered the real deal and planted here about 8 years ago. It does not freeze here and only drops below 40°F for a few hours about a half dozen times per year.
It is planted – or rather its bulb was planted on the south side of our house. Every winter the current main stock plus any pups that came up in the summer nearly die back to the ground. None of the stalks have reached fruiting stage. Meanwhile nearby cultivars of Namwa and Pisang Ceylon are doing fine, fruiting every year.
