Partial shade is fine, as long as you aren't growing it for fruit. If growing just for foliage, it won't hurt it. It just won't reach its full potential growing in shade. I don't think that it would do much at all in full shade.

No shade is good shade for bananas. More shade means less growth. Period.

I agree with pitangadiego,more sun the better. Happy gardening Bellie

While I would completely agree that full sun would be the best for a dwarf cavendish, especially if you want it to flower and fruit, I disagree that "no shade is good shade for bananas...period.". There are some bananas that do better in partial shade. In fact, I believe super dwarf cavendish does better with a little shade. Also musa itinerans and some other forest species do fine in partial shade. How else do they grow up through the canopy?? They sure don't have full sun on the forest floor while they're growing, do they? Variegated bananas look better in partial shade too. Musa ingens grows over 60 feet tall, but it has to start out from the forest floor, so evidently the shade doesn't inhibit its growth! Just my 2 cents.

Put your dwarf cavendish in full sun though. It will do better.

I've had a Dwarf Cavendish for two years now and it's been my experience that in full sun here in Broken Arrow, OK - it simply burns up the leaves - no matter how much water or misting I give the plant. I'm experimenting this year by putting the plant under the porch on the deck and for the past month or so and it's been thriving. Fresh new green leaves with no immediate browning like before. Pups are thriving as well. It gets very bright light there and a little full sun towards the end of the evening - but that's it.

I don't get fruit on my dwarf cavendish bananas near my pond, 20 feet from the trunk of a shade tree, but that doesn't stop them from going from 3-4 feet to 10-12 feet in a single season, either. So put them in the shade if you want to, just realize that you are then growing them for foliage. By the way, the leaves stay really nice and green, and don't burn up at all that way, even when we had a very dry season last summer.

I'm glad someone brought up the burning leaves in full sun issue. I"m very confused about what to do. I figure I will keep trying to expose them to full sun as soon as they can take it but I wish I hadn't burnt my babies to begin with.

I'm thinking that in Dallas some shade would be essential for the best looking bananas. In fact, from Dallas and on West until you get to coastal California the sun can be so intense that most bananas would fry in full sun. My 2 cents.

"I wish I hadn't burnt my babies to begin with."

I rapidly, totallly burned up 9 each $5/1-gal Maurelli's, and they all came back full-sun hardy and are looking great, growing fast. I think in general full sun is ok, as long as they have plenty of ground moisture (retained by inches of mulch) and nutrition.

I think it's M. itinerans that is a forest/under-story banana that really isn't happy in full sun. I've got one going from seed now, and will grow it to bright shade, but if is pups, I'll experiment with a pup in full sun.

My two itinerans in the shade are a foot taller than the one in 5 hours of full morning sun. All plants were put in the ground when they were 8" tall at the same time(late April '05). My wife grew up in Miami and is shocked to see the good health of the shade loving bananas.

I cannot put my blood bananas in full sun here in Fort Worth, unless I want them to burn and I mean burn. I now have four five gallon containers of them in partial shade and they have the most beautiful leaves. When the label says "full sun", they don't consider the full sun in Texas. I learned the hard way.

Leona

"My two itinerans in the shade are a foot taller"

M. itinierans is a "forest" banana:

"This is the largest of the forest banana species of Yunnan. It grows inside tropical mountain forests in the shade of trees and direct sunlight damages its dark green foliage. ... Yunnan banana needs shade to grow well."

(http://natureproducts.net/Forest_Products/Bananas/Musa_acuminata.html)

ive noticed that my Dwarf Cavendish was burning up in full sun while the one that gets hafe of that is nice and green. So i suggest planting it in half shade.

I'm so glad I saw this discussion. I just got two DC and two SDC in the past few days. I've had them temporarily under edge of shade tree where they get bright filtered afternoon sun. I'm trying to figure out where to put them for "regular" location. They will always remain in pots because of 1) protection from my GIANT dogs, 2) our famous rocky soil here on the hill and, 3) I have heated greenhouse space for them in winter.

Now... just what would be considered half shade or partial shade?
How much direct, really full Texas sun can they tolerate and at what time of day?

My basjoos, tropical(most but not all) and hardy Hibiscus, and gardenias all do well in blazing sun for most of day although the gardenias do better near the misters on my deck which I run all afternoon and on very hot nights.
Thanks, geekgranny

I just received one at a plant exchange and was told to put it in full sun here in FL.

MsMarion, mine are in full sun, except for the delicate Ae Ae. That one will burn badly on the white parts of the leaves.

The only time I get leaf burn on my regular "nanas, is when it is too cold. They love the moist heat here in Florida. I do have some Super Dwarfs that are in partial shade simply because they pupped near taller plants. Those are doing fine too, but I have never gotten any fruit from them.

Lisa

Dwarf Cavendish will survive with very little light, but will not grow much unless it has good light. I bring many on mine in in winter and they live in a room which only has light at weekends! It is coolish and they are fine. But to get some action out of them, as soom as summer comes, out they go into the sunniest positions I can find and they grow really quickly then.

Maybe it has something to do with humidity & precipitation?

Bananas come from wet, humid tropical areas, right?
For example, I get sunburned much more easily in California than in South Carolina. Both are on the same latitude, climate is much different. Could this also go for plants?

Erlend

i was gona try dwarf cavendish too. i live in nor cal, its hot & dry. perfect example, my friends wooden fence actualy burst into flames. true story! will it survive here? or is there another type that may do better. it also freezes here too.