Bananas.org - View Single Post - Are Musa Basjoo leaves and flowers edible?

sandy0225 · 02-26-2013, 02:20 PM

I don't know why you couldn't eat the stems of the basjoo. You certainly can eat the leaves, and they are really just extensions of the stem. You can eat the flowers but mine has never bloomed.
So far, I haven't found a hardy and fruiting banana for our zone (5-6, depending on which chart you look at). I think the main problem would be that it would probably run out of time to finish the fruit before the stalk froze up and fell over, unless it bloomed in the spring. Which I haven't had an edible-type banana bloom in the spring. The edible ones always seem to bloom in the fall here, maybe they are triggered by shortening day length? Maybe some one knows the answer to that. If that is the case, it would be fun to play with some mature ones and a grow light and see what happens.
I have had many bordelons bloom towards spring, or in early summer, but they don't set any fruit.

02-26-2013, 02:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 354,662 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Are Musa Basjoo leaves and flowers edible? I don't know why you couldn't eat the stems of the basjoo. You certainly can eat the leaves, and they are really just extensions of the stem. You can eat the flowers but mine has never bloomed. So far, I haven't found a hardy and fruiting banana for our zone (5-6, depending on which chart you look at). I think the main problem would be that it would probably run out of time to finish the fruit before the stalk froze up and fell over, unless it bloomed in the spring. Which I haven't had an edible-type banana bloom in the spring. The edible ones always seem to bloom in the fall here, maybe they are triggered by shortening day length? Maybe some one knows the answer to that. If that is the case, it would be fun to play with some mature ones and a grow light and see what happens. I have had many bordelons bloom towards spring, or in early summer, but they don't set any fruit. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!