Yug
08-09-2011, 12:21 AM
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!
Pardon my enthusiasm, but my next-door neighbor works with the state when it comes to agriculture
issues or when someone finds a snake (invasive species) that isn't supposed to be here. I told him one day
recently that I was looking for some not-too-easy-to-find Hawaiian bananas. He gave me the ph nbr
of a local gentleman that was studying those at U of H (and he knows Gabe!!). I called him up and asked
about some of the types I was looking for. He had one, the Ele Ele, and a few other types that have never
been discribed by the taxonomists (smart banana-plant people). As I was selecting an Ele Ele pup to dig,
I happened to glance around at his mini-jungle. I noticed that he had a few different types of Ko (sugar cane
in Hawaiian lingo). Some had striped canes, but I had seen those before so I didn't take particular interest.
One, however did catch my eye. It had green/yellow variegation on the cane. I looked up to the leaves,
and thought I was seeing the light playing tricks with the shadow. I went even closer and touched the leaf, and
got a really GOOD look. The thing was VARIEGATED WHITE & GREEN!!! I had never seen one before. I asked
him if he could spare some of it, and how much he wanted for a piece. I won't provide the details of the
exchange except that I left with a piece of it with viable buds! (and a promise to protect his privacy unless
he permits me otherwise). Yeah, yeah - I already know who wants one. You'll get it - just be a little patient
until mine is bigger.
He has one Hawaiian banana plant that I was interested in, but don't have the space for just yet. According to
him it is an un-named, and I assume unknown type. It was about 12 ft high at the p-stem, and had a medium size
bunch of red bananas. He said they would gradually turn yellow. He assured me that is was not a Iholena
Ula Ula (which was one of the ones I was looking for), but an un-categorized type. Once I have space, I'll ask if he
has a pup to spare.
Man!! I still can't believe I found this guy!! I have to make sure I remember both him and my neighbor quite generously
when the holidays come!
Photo of Ele Ele prior to my re-planting it. The young one doesn't have the dark markings yet, but I can assure
you that the mother plant did have them
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44960><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44960&size=1 border=0></a>
This shows the variegated Ko. The top one has white variegated leaves.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44963><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44963&size=1 border=0></a>
Pardon my enthusiasm, but my next-door neighbor works with the state when it comes to agriculture
issues or when someone finds a snake (invasive species) that isn't supposed to be here. I told him one day
recently that I was looking for some not-too-easy-to-find Hawaiian bananas. He gave me the ph nbr
of a local gentleman that was studying those at U of H (and he knows Gabe!!). I called him up and asked
about some of the types I was looking for. He had one, the Ele Ele, and a few other types that have never
been discribed by the taxonomists (smart banana-plant people). As I was selecting an Ele Ele pup to dig,
I happened to glance around at his mini-jungle. I noticed that he had a few different types of Ko (sugar cane
in Hawaiian lingo). Some had striped canes, but I had seen those before so I didn't take particular interest.
One, however did catch my eye. It had green/yellow variegation on the cane. I looked up to the leaves,
and thought I was seeing the light playing tricks with the shadow. I went even closer and touched the leaf, and
got a really GOOD look. The thing was VARIEGATED WHITE & GREEN!!! I had never seen one before. I asked
him if he could spare some of it, and how much he wanted for a piece. I won't provide the details of the
exchange except that I left with a piece of it with viable buds! (and a promise to protect his privacy unless
he permits me otherwise). Yeah, yeah - I already know who wants one. You'll get it - just be a little patient
until mine is bigger.
He has one Hawaiian banana plant that I was interested in, but don't have the space for just yet. According to
him it is an un-named, and I assume unknown type. It was about 12 ft high at the p-stem, and had a medium size
bunch of red bananas. He said they would gradually turn yellow. He assured me that is was not a Iholena
Ula Ula (which was one of the ones I was looking for), but an un-categorized type. Once I have space, I'll ask if he
has a pup to spare.
Man!! I still can't believe I found this guy!! I have to make sure I remember both him and my neighbor quite generously
when the holidays come!
Photo of Ele Ele prior to my re-planting it. The young one doesn't have the dark markings yet, but I can assure
you that the mother plant did have them
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44960><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44960&size=1 border=0></a>
This shows the variegated Ko. The top one has white variegated leaves.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44963><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44963&size=1 border=0></a>