Bananas are relatively easy to grow in California, Florida, Louisiana, and Hawaii, and there are short-cycle varieties that are being tested in Georgia and elsewhere. I encourage everyone to grow them if your climate will allow for it -- they're one of the easiest, most-productive fruits you can grow. Here are a few resources.
bananas.org is a great forum for learning about the world of backyard banana growing.
My mom used to have lots of banana trees, but she ripped them out because she did not like the way they looked. I would fry them with salt and pepper. Best tasting fruit I tasted in a while.
bananas.org is a great forum for learning about the world of backyard banana growing.
Jon at Encanto Farms has a nice encyclopedia of banana varieties: http://webebananas.com/bvar-A-B.html
He also has a good guide for beginners on how to grow them: http://webebananas.com/culture.html