Tropical Bananas are Cold Tolerant?!

[Jaboticaba45]

My dwarf namwah banana has come back from the dead.
I planted it outside last year cause there is no space in the greenhouse. So, I thought it was a goner. We had lows of 9f this year with several consecutive days below freezing. I didn't protect it either.
But the plant today shot up another pup. I can't add a picture though as the image thing is glitching.
Up until now, I thought the only cold tolerant one was musa basjoo. But, it seems as if the corms have a degree of cold tolerance. I guess if it doesn't freeze below the soil it's ok?
Unfortunately, this really doesn't help anything though as bananas need a certain amount of time to flower. So, maybe instead the tropical ones can be used as landscape up north also?

[K-Rimes]

Bananas are stout growers, but the plant itself is cold sensitive. You can definitely grow them (along with many other sub or tropical things) as a from the roots annual - but you're not going to fruit them.

[tru]

yeah they'll come back every year but they have to survive the winter to flower the following spring

[CeeJey]

You can wrap the pseudostems in bubblewrap if it's not going to drop below freezing for too long (I've done this with a namwah for frosts), or use the "dry leaf insulation" technique for longer cold periods (I know someone who does this in Kentucky with decent survival rates):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-bJGqF85b8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkU9wgV6zYg (I think this one is a musa basjoo but she's doing it in a zone 6, the technique works in zone 8 for less-hardy types, you might be able to squeak by in 7 if the roots survived)

You need them nice and big for this prior to the winter though, for the central spear to survive inside the insulation. If it does, it'll pop back out the top when it warms up and you can get fruit.

[Enkis]

Your main problem will be that your good season won't be long enough to let bananas ripen, i know people struggling i z8b for this reason.
Namwha is a short cycle variety it should give you the best chances of succeeding. However you will still probably have to cut the bunch prematurely before the cold season and let it finish ripen off the plant