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Nius
12-31-2014, 06:16 PM
Hi all, while driving i saw this plant and had to stop to take a couple of photos to post them here. And hopefully get an ID. The plant looked to be about 8ft tall from the earth to the intersection of the last leave and the flag leave.


I looked over the wiki for bananas with "red" in the name, and after going thru the photos i narrowed it to more likely Jamaican Red (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Jamaican_Red). Althought the description says the pseudo stem is in the 15-18ft range.

Anyway any input would be awesome. I might actually try again passing by the place in a month or so to make another photo of the developing bunch.

Thanks!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/40550481/Bananas/ID%20purple%20banana/20141229_102322.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/40550481/Bananas/ID%20purple%20banana/20141229_102335.jpg

venturabananas
01-01-2015, 10:44 AM
Looks like a short example of a "tall Red", though it might be a Dwarf Red. There are lots of different names for similar or identical varieties and "Jamaican Red" is one of them. The height is more appropriate for Dwarf Red, but the plant looks more like the tall variety in how slender it is and the relatively long leaves and petioles. Height can vary a lot within a variety, especially between the first crop (plant crop) and second crop (ratoon) on a single mat, but also with growing conditions. The Red varieties are really attractive plants, if not especially productive.

Lau
01-01-2015, 10:50 AM
The reds hate to cold also.

venturabananas
01-01-2015, 10:55 AM
The reds hate to cold also.

Very true, and an important point for those of us growing bananas outside the tropics. I have a Dwarf Red right up against the south facing side of my house, which keeps it pretty happy, but it is still terribly slow at producing fruit.

Lau
01-01-2015, 11:11 AM
I have one red in the ground and two in pots on the north side of my house. I put one in the ground on the south side, but it is in the shade. If I can keep them warm and alive this winter, I hope to get bananas this year.

I did get one to produce a few years ago.:goteam:

blownz281
01-01-2015, 11:17 AM
I have been growing a small dwarf red mat for a few years in my area. I just wrap with a tarp in the winter an all is good.

Lau
01-01-2015, 11:40 AM
I have been growing a small dwarf red mat for a few years in my area. I just wrap with a tarp in the winter an all is good.

How long does it take you to get bananas?

Nius
01-01-2015, 04:42 PM
I have never ate any red variety, and im looking forward to! I actually would like to grow more varieties here, both of plantains and bananas.

And thanks for the info, i had no idea the characteristic of a type could vary so much based on so many factors. It really amaze me how dedicated you guys and gals not in the tropics are with your bananas.

PR-Giants
01-01-2015, 08:05 PM
TARS 17148 - Musa acuminata - Morado - Puerto Rico (http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1647330)

Banana Gallery - Puerto Rican Morado (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=2078)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=52904 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=52904)