Originally Posted by Eric-Orlando,FL

I actually grew a bunch of these for a chimpanzee sanctuary in Ft. Pierce. Save the Chimps ( savethechimps.org ) has acquired an old Air Force facility in New Mexico that housed a few hundred chimps, some dating back to the early space days. They were used in space travel research or loaned out for medical research. They have 100 acres now west of Ft. Pierce and are bringing them to FL. They live in groups on islands where they are free to go outside.

Their website said they could use donations of banana plants. I asked if they were for fruit but they said no, mainly for browse. The chimps love to eat the leaves or play with them and make nests. This banana seems to be a more tolerant banana here to drier soil and nematodes. They also seemed to form a thick clump faster with lots of foliage so I collected a bunch of the seedlings I found growing wild and potted them up. Once they grew a little I took them over.