Hi Dave, I hope this pix will give you an idea what the fruit of a
species 'naner looks like;
It's chock full of sds! Don't let any of the pulp there fool you cos behind it is all sds. The thin strips of pulp's function is just to hold the sds together. This is the fruit of the
Musa acuminata subsp malaccensis and being only 4 inches long, it can hold approx 108 sds. The little bit of pulp there taste very sweet and aromatic. It is from this species that the AA cultivars are derived.
Being from the tropics, I am no expert in cold growing types. If you want decorative plants with nice flowers, you should choose the smaller species such as
Musa dasycarpa syn velutina,
Musa ornata (3 color forms to choose from) and
Musella lasiocarpa. They can be grown in pots and can be easily moved in for winter. They will look great at your pool as live decor.
There are many sources for sd purchase. You can try a member here, musa777 as he has an online store and his sds are always freshly harvested. All the best and do keep us posted.