My apologies that some of these are turned, they are fine on my computer but then when I upload them they turn back, and the onsite photo edit software always fails to be able to turn them back...oh well!
I was recently in Washington DC, my second trip there since appreciating bananas. Last time I saw some great stuff, and was keen on finding as many varieties as I could throughout the city. The National Botanic Gardens (just across the street from the Capital Building) has a nice little collection of 12 or so bananas, presented here are the most interesting ones along with bananas found around the city.
These 2 photos are of an undescribed/unknown M. balbisiana variety at the National Botanic Gardens (NBG). It is incorrectly labeled as M. textilis. I have seen this same variety of M. balbisiana also mislabeled as M. textilis in Southern Florida.
This is a dwarfed Ensete superbum (not dwarf) at the NBG. It is so small because they grow them in containers, this one was just recently planted in the ground it seems. Last time, I saw another one they had that was flowering in its ~20-30gal container.
Musa coccinea at the NBG.
Musella lasiocarpa outside in one of the courtyards at the NBG.
Musa basjoo outside near the Musella.
Musa mannii inside the conservatory.
Some nice Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' outside across the street.
A fair number of 'Siam Ruby' patches accompanied the Ensete outside.
I found a few of these 'Dwarf Cavendish' in containers around a big fountain on the National Mall.
A very nice use of a medium-large Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' outside the Smithsonian Castle.
And finally, Musa basjoo peeking out from the garden outside the Smithsonian Castle.
