Re: some thoughts about hybridizing Musa basjoo
At least Basjoo is technically in the same genus (Musa) as regular bananas.
Some of the other common hardy banana species, like Abyssinian banana, are in the genus Ensete. Or the very hardy Musa lasiocarpa, which is in the genus Musella, more closely related to Ensete than to Musa. Musella lasiocarpa is very hardy, I read one blog with pictures of it managing to survive and flower on a Kentucky farm, zone 6b.
These are basically "false bananas" and probably can't be hybridized with regular bananas (but I'm not completely sure about that).
Musa velutina (the pink banana) is in the subsection Rhodochlamys, even though that is combined by some taxonomists with the section Musa.
Musa itinerans (Giant Yunnan banana) may be another one of interest.
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