Despite the common name, this banana's nativity has actually been traced to Sichuan province in China, not the Ryuku Islands of Japan as previously thought.
Sunset does not recommend north of zone 32, but NCSU and Missouri BG assert root hardiness to USDA zone 5 (assuming proper winter mulching). Of course, it will not fruit in our area, because it needs at least 12 months of frost-free weather for that. The "deciduous" tag reflects this; it is only evergreen much farther south.
Though it looks like a tree, this plant is actually a herbaceous perennial; it has no true stem, only a pseudostem formed by the overlapping leaf sheaths. The "branches strong" tag here merely indicates that it does not suffer breakage.
Regular water (ideally, don't let soil dry out) and fertilizer recommended during growing season. Prefers highly organic soil.
Sources: Sunset, Dirr, UFL, NCSU, Missouri BG.
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