Are My Banana Trees & Elephant Ears Alive?
Overwintering Elephant Ears & Banana Plants
If your Elephant Ears or Banana Plants are now brown or black after a freeze, don’t panic! Their large tropical leaves are quickly damaged by freezing temperatures and heavy frost, sometimes turning dark almost overnight.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the entire plant is dead. Depending on the species, variety, severity of the freeze, drainage, and how well established the plant is, the underground portions may survive and produce new growth when warm weather returns.
Winter hardiness varies considerably among Elephant Ears and Banana Plants, so don’t assume every variety can safely overwinter in the ground in East Texas. Some hardy varieties regularly return, while more tropical varieties may need additional protection or protected winter storage.
An unusually severe or prolonged freeze can also damage plants that normally survive our winters. Mother Nature always gets the final say!
Overwintering Elephant Ears
• Wait for freeze-damaged foliage. Once the leaves and stems have been killed by freezing weather, the damaged top growth can be removed. There’s no need to cut healthy foliage prematurely simply because winter is approaching.
• Protect yourself from the sap. Elephant Ear plants contain calcium oxalate compounds, and their sap can irritate the skin and eyes. Wear gloves and consider long sleeves when cutting them back, and keep cut plant material away from children and pets.
• Protect the root zone. For varieties hardy enough to remain in the ground, apply a protective layer of mulch over the root zone after the plant goes dormant. Avoid packing wet material tightly against the crown, where excess moisture could contribute to rot.
• Know your variety. Tender Elephant Ears may need to be dug and stored in a protected location for winter rather than left outdoors. The correct method depends on the species and variety you’re growing.
• Be patient in spring. As the soil warms, surviving plants should eventually begin producing new growth. Don’t rely on an exact soil temperature or calendar date—different varieties and weather conditions can affect when they emerge.
Overwintering Banana Plants
• Let freezing weather take care of the foliage first. Once the leaves have been damaged by a freeze, you can remove the dead foliage as part of your winter cleanup.
• Wear gloves and protective clothing. Banana plants produce sap that can irritate some people’s skin and can also stain clothing and other materials.
• Work in manageable sections. On a large Banana Plant, removing the leaves individually can make cleanup much easier. Those big leaves and pseudostems can become surprisingly heavy and awkward!
• Cut back only as needed. After a hard freeze, damaged pseudostems can be cut back. How much should be removed depends on the extent of the damage and the particular type of Banana you’re growing.
• Add winter protection. For hardy varieties being overwintered in the ground, mulch can help insulate the root zone. Keep the material loose enough that it doesn’t trap excessive moisture directly against the crown.
• Tender varieties need more protection. Not every Banana Plant is reliably root-hardy in East Texas. Some varieties may need to be moved into a protected location or otherwise given additional winter protection.
• Watch for new growth in spring. If the underground portion survived winter, new growth should appear once conditions become consistently warm. Be patient—different varieties may emerge at different times.
Don’t Give Up Too Soon!
Elephant Ears and Banana Plants can look pretty pitiful after a hard freeze, but ugly foliage doesn’t automatically mean a dead plant!
Give hardy varieties the appropriate winter protection, make sure the planting area drains well, and wait for warm spring weather before deciding whether a plant survived.
And most importantly, know which variety you’re growing. Cold tolerance can vary significantly, even among plants that look very similar during the summer.