Daphne, junipers, japanese maples, buddleia, dogwoods, and daylilies will all do fine here. Tea Olives and banana shrubs might make it in during mild winters or in a protected microclimate. Many of the Camellia japonicas also do fine here!

Many of the dogwoods in Tennessee have become susceptible to disease and so you may want to look into some of the Kousa dogwoods that are less susceptible to diseases.

Banana Trees are hardy here but will die back in winter and return with a vengence in the warm spring HOWEVER ,
you must select MUSA BASJOO banana ,
{{gwi:1274479}} they are the only ones that are hardy here. They are beautiful , bloom , fruit but the fruit is non-edible.
You sure can grow others , Ice Cream , Orico and other supermarket types bananas here and they will fruit but in November you will have to DIG THEM UP and store them in the basemement or garage.
You can grow Black Toro and the small hardy scrub palm NEEDLE PALM also :
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You can also grow Trachycarpus Fortunei 'windmill' Palm if you are willing to mulch in winter and string some christmas lights around the trunk if the temps fall near zero:
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Mountain Grown, I think Daphne is asking about banana shrubs (not trees) - Michelia figo, a wonderful smelling bush. But you are correct that certain varieties of some tropicals can be hardy here - - alocasias, palms, musa basjoo, etc. Even some brugmansia are root hardy here if mulched, and many of the hedychiums are hardy here.

Daphne, I hope you will love Tennessee and I think you will find many of the plants that you love will do fine here. Others can be grown if you have the capability and the desire to provide winter protection.

Why of course , Michelia figo...I guess Ive gone tropical overload..lol..
But arent they hardy in most areas of Tennessee?
Ive seen them in all the major metro areas of Tennessee.
Daphne , I couldnt agree more with tnshadylady , I hope your relocating here is swift , easy and fun , your gonna love Tennessee.
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I saw some banana shrubs last year at a nursery in Georgia, but didn't buy any after an internet search indicated that they were marginally hardy in our zone. But tell that to the banana shrubs, LOL. I haven't seen any locally but if you are seeing them in Nashville, I might have to reconsider getting one. Of course, LOTS of internet sites indicate that cannas aren't hardy here - - but I don't know a soul who takes their's up!

And tropical overload isn't a bad thing - - - of course, this is coming from a lady with a whole garage packed with tender tropicals!!

Anything is possible . I have several things even zone 8 and 9 woodies that are not even in microclimates that thrive with no stem die-back , been there for years . Zonal denial is fun and sometimes expensive . You got to want it .

For Daphne35-Hello. I was just playing around on the web and noticed this wonderful site. It sounds like you know a lot about flowers and gardening. I am a few years new to it. I am great with bulbs-ha. But I used to have what I guess you could call a "gardening mentor" in KY, before moving to TN. She was a neighbor in a townhome complex I lived in. I do LOVE flowers-I have mostly just planted daffodils, tulips, and some others. The bradford pear trees are BEAUTIFUL here in the spring. You WILL love Tennessee! The people are so nice, the traffic isn't bad, and it is just a pleasant area. I work from my home office where I spend most of my time (online most of the day), unless I am out in the field. I am trying to come up with the perfect flowering basket choice for the area just outside of my window by my home office desk. Sometimes I work too much and I am at this desk too long. I am thinking yellow, because it is such a refreshing, spring color. It will be in full sun from about 12 noon until sundown each day in the location that it is in. I have two dogs and don't know if they will bother it or not. Isn't spring so exciting?