View Full Version : Identification please
bananistas
06-12-2015, 05:10 AM
Hello everyone, I bought this banana plant a few weeks ago and I planted it in my garden. It's already started growing and producing new leaves. Could you please help me identify the species and tell me if it's an edible one or not? Here are some pics
http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w591/LancelotGS/13ed5be7-d4ee-44e7-b452-7ce8c093b0a4_zpsnq4u8poq.jpg (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/LancelotGS/media/13ed5be7-d4ee-44e7-b452-7ce8c093b0a4_zpsnq4u8poq.jpg.html)
http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w591/LancelotGS/1cc87000-5a37-4aaf-95fa-fa6a8a0b774c_zps8jr8utrz.jpg (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/LancelotGS/media/1cc87000-5a37-4aaf-95fa-fa6a8a0b774c_zps8jr8utrz.jpg.html)
When we say that a banana species in non edible, do we mean that it can be toxic for human or animal consumption?
I believe non editable refers to the number of seeds inside the banana. Banana plants are easier to identify when they are full grown and flower. Your plant looks very beautiful and healthy. Good luck
Susan
bananistas
06-12-2015, 10:10 AM
I believe non editable refers to the number of seeds inside the banana. Banana plants are easier to identify when they are full grown and flower. Your plant looks very beautiful and healthy. Good luck
Susan
Thanks for your reply Susan. I thought that the darker shades on the leaves would help identify the species but I'm probably wrong, aren't i?
How long does it usually take for a banana plant to grow fully in size and to flower? I noticed a second plant showing up from the ground this morning, you can even spot it it the picture. :waving:
Nicolas Naranja
06-12-2015, 02:13 PM
The darker shades on the leaves tells us that there is quite a bit of M. acuminata in the genome. The fact that there is no red on the undersides of leaves makes me think it is probably in the Cavendish subgroup. They also happen to be extremely common.
bananistas
06-12-2015, 03:34 PM
The darker shades on the leaves tells us that there is quite a bit of M. acuminata in the genome. The fact that there is no red on the undersides of leaves makes me think it is probably in the Cavendish subgroup. They also happen to be extremely common.
Thank you Nick! I tracked down the nursery that produced it and they say on their site that they produce dwarf cavendish banana plants. Together with your matching opinion, that makes me pretty sure it's a dwarf cavendish. I also read that they are eadible. We should firstly see if and when it's going to flower though.
Jose263
06-12-2015, 04:38 PM
Thank you Nick! I tracked down the nursery that produced it and they say on their site that they produce dwarf cavendish banana plants. Together with your matching opinion, that makes me pretty sure it's a dwarf cavendish. I also read that they are eadible. We should firstly see if and when it's going to flower though.
Cavendish - they are not very cold hardy - does it frost/freeze in your climate?
bananistas
06-13-2015, 03:37 AM
Cavendish - they are not very cold hardy - does it frost/freeze in your climate?
Not really. It hardly ever falls below 3-4 C. It snowed a bit last winter just for a night and it melted the next morning. Do you think it will be too cold for it to survive?
Snarkie
06-14-2015, 09:38 AM
As far as I know, "non edible" in the realm of bananas simply means "ornamental" or has such a poor quality of fruit that it is not considered edible. I don't know of any bananas that are toxic. I think you could even use the leaves from basjoos as wrappers for food, like any other species. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this.
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