View Full Version : Musa Velutina flowering!!!
palmtree
06-21-2011, 05:22 PM
Im extremely excited! This is my first banana bloom ever! I cant wait to taste the fruit and try out some seeds. I'll show you some pics of its progress. Im really happy its blooming so early in the year, now the fruit has all the time it needs to mature! Sorry for the bad picture, I just wanted to get the whole plant in the pic. I'll post a new pic weekly or every 2 weeks to show its progress.
:)
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3914.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_3914.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Thanks for looking!
john_ny
06-21-2011, 05:45 PM
Very cool! Congrats. You know, we live close enough thnat we should meet sometime.
palmtree
06-21-2011, 05:52 PM
Very cool! Congrats. You know, we live close enough thnat we should meet sometime.
Thanks! I know, we live very close! Im busy up to a bit after July 4th, but Im free after that so it would be great to meet!
john_ny
06-21-2011, 06:07 PM
Good. I'll send you a PM in a day or two.
cherokee_greg
06-21-2011, 06:35 PM
great news im happy for the success !
palmtree
06-21-2011, 08:05 PM
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3926.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_3926.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3927.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_3927.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The Hollyberry Lady
06-21-2011, 11:25 PM
How totally thrilling and exciting, Alex. You must be ecstatic! :D
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/2.gif
: )
palmtree
06-21-2011, 11:40 PM
Thanks Greg and Sherry! I really am so happy. I always pictured what I would be like when I got my first banana to bloom!
Although right this second Im so worried because people are coming tomorrow to trim the bushes that are right next to it and since every landscaper that has ever come into my yard has managed to damage at least one of my plants, I am very paranoid about the saftey of my banana. Hopefully it rains tomorrow and they dont come :)
saltydad
06-22-2011, 02:37 PM
Congrats to you!! The velutina is not known to be edible as it's very seedy, but the birds seem to like it. Keep us posted.
:woohoonaner::woohoonaner::nanadrink::nanadrink::goteam::goteam:
palmtree
06-22-2011, 03:33 PM
Thanks howard! Maybe If I can get around the seeds, I'll try to taste the banana (just to see what it tastes like). I hear the flavor isnt too special, but any banana that can fruit here is special to me! The animals around here seem to eat pretty much everything lol! Im sure fresh bananas should be a nice treat for them.
palmtree
06-25-2011, 01:06 AM
The bloom is growing much faster than I expected and its been far from warm here (70s the past 3 days!). Mid to upper 80s and sun is in the forecast so the bloom should be pushing up at full speed very soon! Anyone want to take a guess when the bananas will be ripe on my Velutina??
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3977.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_3977.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_3982.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_3982.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Thanks for looking! I'll update on Monday or Tuesday!
jeffreyp
06-25-2011, 05:54 AM
Thanks howard! Maybe If I can get around the seeds, I'll try to taste the banana (just to see what it tastes like). I hear the flavor isnt too special, but any banana that can fruit here is special to me! The animals around here seem to eat pretty much everything lol! Im sure fresh bananas should be a nice treat for them.
To me they taste like store bought bananas, maybe a bit dryer and full of seeds. Here they take about a 6 weeks to go from newly formed fruit to edible.
palmtree
06-25-2011, 11:31 AM
To me they taste like store bought bananas, maybe a bit dryer and full of seeds. Here they take about a 6 weeks to go from newly formed fruit to edible.
Thanks! Im happy to hear that they taste pretty okay! 6 weeks seems like a pretty quick amount of time considering the 3 -5 months that other large bananas take!
The Hollyberry Lady
06-25-2011, 11:41 AM
Loving the shots, Alex! This is just too cool. :08: Please keep them coming...
: )
TommyMacLuckie
06-26-2011, 02:32 PM
I've never been around when the fruit is OK to eat, always too late. They're always blooming it seems.
palmtree
07-08-2011, 12:53 PM
I wish I could post a pic, but I cant today, maybe tomorrow.
Anyways, the flower continues and I see 2 little pink bananas on it! Im not sure how many more I will be getting, but Im excited to find out!
cherokee_greg
07-08-2011, 02:36 PM
Im so very happy for you it gives me lots of hope for a flower :08::woohoonaner:
natej740
07-09-2011, 01:22 AM
How old is your plant? I have one that sprouted from a seed last june....
saltydad
07-09-2011, 03:37 AM
The neat thing is that those pretty pink bananas will peel themselves when they're ripe!
palmtree
07-10-2011, 06:50 PM
How old is your plant? I have one that sprouted from a seed last june....
I got it off of ebay early last september. Its actually my newest banana plant! They seem to be very quick to flower!
Howard, do you know whether or not you can eat the bananas before they peel on the them? I always wondered about that!
Thanks for the comments everyone! Im going to try and post another pic tomorrow!
natej740
07-30-2011, 09:20 PM
Any updates or pics?
palmtree
07-31-2011, 01:03 AM
The flower top of it died off and now there are 2 small bananas on it. The bananas are about an inch long and Im not sure how much longer they have before ripening, so I guess I will have to watch them daily. The pup has grown at ton and is now about as tall as the mother! I'll post some pics tomorrow (hopefully!) Heres the most recent pic I have of it from about 2 weeks ago.
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_5938.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_5938.jpg" border="0" alt="7.25.11"></a>
oakshadows
08-16-2011, 08:33 PM
How is the pup doing? We are very interested in this banana and hope to get several plants from seed. To us it is very pretty and will do good as a landscape fill in.Thanks
arthurb3
08-17-2011, 12:17 PM
The flower top of it died off and now there are 2 small bananas on it. The bananas are about an inch long and Im not sure how much longer they have before ripening, so I guess I will have to watch them daily. The pup has grown at ton and is now about as tall as the mother! I'll post some pics tomorrow (hopefully!) Heres the most recent pic I have of it from about 2 weeks ago.
<a href="http://s705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/?action=view&current=IMG_5938.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/ww59/tropicalzone7/Yard%202011/IMG_5938.jpg" border="0" alt="7.25.11"></a>
In Central North Carolina, they fruit heavily and once they are ripe they split open and drop seeds everywhere. The don't taste good but very ornamental and the pink fuzzy bananas are a nice addition. The birds will eat them and spread the seeds around the garden.
Arthur in the Garden
Raleigh, North Carolina
Arthur in the Garden! (http://arthurinthegarden.blogspot.com/)
palmtree
08-18-2011, 12:23 PM
Noah, the pup is doing really well! Its already just about as tall as the mother plant and it has only been one summer!
Thanks for the info Arthur! I dont even think I will get the chance to taste the bananas on my plant because they seem to be remaining only half an inch long. I will be planting the seeds though!
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