Banana tree stuggling with cold weather, looking for advice.

[biwa]

I bought a cold-hardy banana tree that can supposedly survive as far north as zone 6. I live in zone 7, and the leaves recently turned brown, probably because it is getting colder.

Banana trees are supposed to be evergreen, right? Should I be worried that the leaves are turning brown? Is there something I should do to protect the plant? I put a small amount of mulch around the base of the plant to protect the bulb; I would like to put more mulch down but I cannot without burying the lower leaves.

Any advice to help me get this plant through the winter would be greatly appreciated.

[Sienna Dawn]

I live in zone 8, and have several 'volunteer' banana trees in the yard. They all turn brown and look dead during the winter, but they all come back in the summer. I just leave 'em as they are, and when the green starts poking back up in the warm weather, I trim the brown/dead stuff away to help it out a bit.

[biwa]

Thanks! I didn't realize bananas die in the Fall like everything else. I was worried it wouldn't come back.