View Full Version : Ensete superbum (seeds labeled as Ensete perrieri)
I ordered 100 seeds of Ensete perrieri from RPS and they arrived in June 2007.
The seeds were large, hard like a stone, and covered in pockmarks. About 1/3 of them germinated and were kept in containers until April/May 2008 when I started planting them in the ground. Here are a few photos taken today (8 months after planting). Is anyone else growing these? Can anyone confirm if they are E. perrieri?
This was the size of the plants in Spring 2008 before planting in the ground
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/DSC_0644.jpg
8 months later (the same plant shown above)
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Casa%20Akira%20Palms/P1120138.jpg
Here are a few photos I took today. I planted these along a hillside and I am not providing any supplemental watering during the dry season (December to April). During the rainy season (May to November) we get approx 150-200 inches of rain per year which means the soil stays wet for 7 months or more of the year. Some of these plants are more shaded than others.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130043.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130054.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130056.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130064.jpg
My smallest plant (shaded by a large clump of dessert bananas).
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130059.jpg
and the top view
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130061.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130051.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130044.jpg
The descriptions I have read say that the midribs on E. perrieri are yellow, yet on most of these plants, the yellow fades to dark orange or light red in the middle of the leaf and then hold the color through to the tip.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130067.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Shadehouse/P1130004.jpg
Chironex
01-13-2009, 07:21 PM
Jeff, thank you for clarifying that. When I get one to sprout, I will be ecstatic! When I finally get an ingens to sprout, THAT will be a cause for a huge celebration!!!
I am so glad that you posted these E. perrieri photos - they give me renewed hope and energy.
Glad you liked them Scot! I wish I could find someone growing these who could confirm their id. There is very little information or photos available on the internet to see what these look like at different stages of growth.
adrift
01-13-2009, 08:20 PM
Whatever they are, they are lovely.
Tog Tan
01-14-2009, 10:08 AM
Yo Jeff,
Your post is truly an absolute inspiration! :goteam:
Mucho gracias! This is something I have yet to get my hands on as I was late on the orders from rps. I will definitely get a lot 100 sds the next time they offer it. Currently I have loads of fun with 50+ seedlings of the Ensete livingstonianum which I germinated from rps.
Please keep us posted of their progress.:ha:
bigdog
01-14-2009, 11:04 PM
Well, they certainly look a lot more like Ensete superbum than I would have thought. I thought that E. perrieri was a bit taller, like E. glaucum. You'll know when they flower. Excellent pics though! Thanks for posting them.
Frank
Thanks everyone.
Hi Frank, E. perrieri is supposed to be closely related to E. ventricosum. The only difference (other than the flower) is that the mid-ribs are supposed to be yellow/green instead of red/purple like ventricosum. My plants definitely do not have the dark red/purple color in the mid-rib but rather start off green at the base and then fade to yellow and then orange part way up the leaf. I don't know much about E. superbum so it's hard for me to make a comparison. I tried growing a couple different kinds of Ensete in Florida but they always died on me so I gave up on them.
These plants still may get taller. The first year they gained some height but mainly the base expanded and got really wide on each of them. I was hoping that once the base enlarged like that, they would start growing taller. I guess only time will tell.
Raules
01-15-2009, 10:59 PM
Excellent work Jeff, very good photos! About this kind of really very few information.
Thanks Andrei, it will be interesting to watch these plants mature. I will photograph them periodically and keep everyone updated on their progress.
A night shot
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P1180027.jpg
MediaHound
01-18-2009, 11:25 PM
Awesome!
Chironex
01-19-2009, 12:35 AM
Stunning! From the photos I have seen, the E. glaucum and E. perrieri blossoms look quite similar too. Of course, I don't have a trained eye yet.
I really hope they are E. perrieri.
Bananaman88
01-19-2009, 09:58 AM
Awesome photos, Jeff! Growth rate is phenomenal as well.
I also like the heliconia blooming in the background of one of your photos. Thanks for sharing.
Mark Hall
01-19-2009, 02:33 PM
Like Brent said the growth rate in such a short time is amazing. I have tried a few times with seed but so far no good.
Some seeds on U.S Ebay at the moment.
EXOTIC ENSETE PERRIERI MADAGASCAR BANANA TREE SEEDS WOW on eBay, also Plants, Seeds Bulbs, Gardening Plants, Yard, Garden Outdoor Living, Home Garden (end time 15-Feb-09 23:23:47 GMT) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EXOTIC-ENSETE-PERRIERI-MADAGASCAR-BANANA-TREE-SEEDS-WOW_W0QQitemZ370016274650QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?h ash=item370016274650&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177)
Bit pricey though.
Tog Tan
01-19-2009, 02:45 PM
Like Brent said the growth rate in such a short time is amazing. I have tried a few times with seed but so far no good.
Mark, I think it applies to all Ensete grown in the right condition. My first sp is the E superbum. The moment it took off, I get 1 new leaf everyday! Yes, 1 per day! I was of course baby-ing it like crazy, 3-4 times watering daily and fert every wk or more.
Sine then, I have germinated E ventricosum, E glaucum and E livingstonianum. I grow them in very porous burnt top soil. Within 1 month of germn, I started feed them sheep dung processed fert from NZ every week. They are now giving me 1 new leaf every 2 days. I guess they really crave heat and water and lots of food.
They all took an average of 12 days to germinate at a day temp of approx 100F and night at low 90F. :ha:
Like Brent said the growth rate in such a short time is amazing. I have tried a few times with seed but so far no good.
Some seeds on U.S Ebay at the moment.
EXOTIC ENSETE PERRIERI MADAGASCAR BANANA TREE SEEDS WOW on eBay, also Plants, Seeds Bulbs, Gardening Plants, Yard, Garden Outdoor Living, Home Garden (end time 15-Feb-09 23:23:47 GMT) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EXOTIC-ENSETE-PERRIERI-MADAGASCAR-BANANA-TREE-SEEDS-WOW_W0QQitemZ370016274650QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?h ash=item370016274650&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177)
Bit pricey though.
Mark, thanks for the link. It seems odd that this ebay seller is using the photos from the RPS website and is claiming that this is the very first introduction into cultivation. Toby offered seeds almost two years ago.
MediaHound
01-19-2009, 08:22 PM
What exactly did you do to germinate yours?
What exactly did you do to germinate yours?
Hi Jarred, I soaked the seeds in water for almost a week (maybe a little less) changing the water daily. At the time I received the seeds, I didn't have any germinating medium on hand (I now use ground coconut fiber but I couldn't find it at the time) so I put some regular bagged soil into one of those large rectangular disposable food storage containers, laid the seeds on top, sprayed them with some water, and snapped the lid on. The container kept it moist inside and within a few months they started germinating. I didn't provide bottom heat, they were exposed to normal fluctuating temperatures in my house from about 70 degrees at night to around 84 during the day. I don't have air conditioning at my house, but I have many screened areas to keep the air moving through.
MediaHound
01-19-2009, 11:29 PM
Thanks Jeff, appreciate the info!
51st state
01-20-2009, 04:42 PM
I think fresh seed is a big part of the key here, I just couldn't get them to germinate (have last batch of 20 seeds in at the moment).
great pics, love to see it confirmed as Perrieri, then maybe you can sell us all some nice fresh seed :ha:
I think fresh seed is a big part of the key here, I just couldn't get them to germinate (have last batch of 20 seeds in at the moment).
great pics, love to see it confirmed as Perrieri, then maybe you can sell us all some nice fresh seed :ha:
I think I have at least 10 now planted in the ground. Once they flower, I would be happy to share seeds with anyone, whether we can confirm the id or not. If all 10 eventually flower, there should be plenty of seeds. :2722:
Chironex
01-20-2009, 05:50 PM
I think I have at least 10 now planted in the ground. Once they flower, I would be happy to share seeds with anyone, whether we can confirm the id or not. If all 10 eventually flower, there should be plenty of seeds. :2722:
Count me in, no matter what it is! I just like the plant a whole lot!!!!
bigdog
01-20-2009, 06:01 PM
I think I have at least 10 now planted in the ground. Once they flower, I would be happy to share seeds with anyone, whether we can confirm the id or not. If all 10 eventually flower, there should be plenty of seeds. :2722:
Ooooh..me! Me! Me! LOL.
All kidding aside, I can't recall reading whether this Ensete has basal hermaphrodite flowers or not. I know quite a few of them do, so chances are good that this one will also, meaning that you should get seed with just one flower blooming. And with ten flowers blooming, you should have LOTS of seed! Yes, please count me in for a couple hundred of them...if you end up with more than you know what to do with, that is.
LOL, I don't know how long it will take them to flower. It may be another year or more. But when the time comes, I'll be happy to share them.
Chironex
01-20-2009, 07:44 PM
Ooooh..me! Me! Me! LOL.
All kidding aside, I can't recall reading whether this Ensete has basal hermaphrodite flowers or not. I know quite a few of them do, so chances are good that this one will also, meaning that you should get seed with just one flower blooming. And with ten flowers blooming, you should have LOTS of seed! Yes, please count me in for a couple hundred of them...if you end up with more than you know what to do with, that is.
A couple hundred? Sheesh, bigdog what are you growing there, a plantation? LOL (just kidding, I know your thoughts on how many seeds it takes to get one to germinate)
I understand what you mean, out of 100 seeds I only got around 25 or so to germinate. I can't remember exactly how many, but it was around that amount. To be honest, I didn't really take very good care of them for the first 6 months - they sat in heavy shade under a tree and got very stretched out. Some of them were weak and died off, others got too wet during the rainy season and rotted. They responded much better when I moved them into a sunny area. I also gave a few of them away to friends and that left me with about 10 which are all planted out now. So out of 100 seeds, I am left with 10 plants. You need a good quantity of seed to end up with just a few plants.
Chironex
01-20-2009, 09:01 PM
The operative words were "got around 25 or so to germinate"!!! We would be happy just to have a few germinate at all. Out of 150 seeds, I have not had one germinate. So I may need a few thousand! (joking of course, but with fresh seeds I would hope to get a few to germinate out of 50)
I am hauling out the plastic containers and regular old dirt this time around. It seems to work better than all of this sterile stuff we have tried.
Scot, I'm sure that fresh seeds would guarantee better results. I don't know how old the seeds were that I got from RPS, but I ordered them right after they were first offered (with a large palm seed order!) and they must have been pretty fresh for me to have that many germinate. All the seedlings popped up at the same time a few months after sowing them. Then no more for the next six months and I figured the rest of the seeds were duds so I tossed them down a hillside near my shadehouse. I dropped a couple seeds onto my potting table and a couple months later one germinated, just laying there on the table among a little spilled soil and plastic bags! I planted it out during this past rainy season. I forgot about this one when I posted the photos of my larger ones.
This photo was taken a few months ago, it's gotten fatter since then.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/Casa%20Akira%20Palms/DSC_1800.jpg
For what it's worth,I just got my E.Perrieri seeds from Mother Natures Garden store(Jeff posted the ebay link). They advertised 30 seeds, sent 72 along with some free M. Manii and some agave seeds. If successful I'll post a follow up with a few:woohoonaner:'s along with it!
Bob, great to hear you got some seeds. I hope that a lot of them germinate for you! Keep us posted.
Oh, and I didn't post the link, Mark did. I just commented on it :)
I took a few more photos of my largest E. perrieri today.
Close up
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P2030052.jpg
As this plant grows larger, the midribs are much more yellow. It seems to be losing the orange/red color.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P2030053.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P2030054.jpg
Chironex
02-04-2009, 01:42 AM
Mark, thanks for the link. It seems odd that this ebay seller is using the photos from the RPS website and is claiming that this is the very first introduction into cultivation. Toby offered seeds almost two years ago.
I got a bunch of those seeds and have yet to get one to germinate. I have also placed several into embryo rescue, but so far, none have really shown any signs of growth.
I don't know how old those seeds are, but they may have been from the originals sold by RPS 2 years ago.
I got a bunch of those seeds and have yet to get one to germinate. I have also placed several into embryo rescue, but so far, none have really shown any signs of growth.
I don't know how old those seeds are, but they may have been from the originals sold by RPS 2 years ago.
Scot, you are probably right about the seeds. I can't imagine there is ongoing seed collection in Madagascar for this banana.
We have had E. perrieri seeds a couple of times, the last time was August or September 07. We have some plants growing at a friends farm in Mada now and I hope seed quality will improve this way from the wild collected seeds when we get the first harvest. The species is easy to tell apart from the seeds as they are distinctly warty, not smooth.
Best, TOBY
http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/images/EnsPer2.jpg
adrift
02-05-2009, 06:24 PM
See my posting in Seed Germination in the thread, "Trying again with Ensete perrieri"
Thanks, but I am not sure what you are trying to say there?
Best, TOBY
Tog Tan
02-06-2009, 02:47 PM
[QUOTE=Toby;63264]We have had E. perrieri seeds a couple of times, the last time was August or September 07. We have some plants growing at a friends farm in Mada now and I hope seed quality will improve this way from the wild collected seeds when we get the first harvest. The species is easy to tell apart from the seeds as they are distinctly warty, not smooth.
Best, TOBY
QUOTE]
Hi Toby,
So any idea when RPS will offer the sds of the E perrieri again? I missed them the last time.
Tog
Hi Tog,
I really hope we will get some plants to flower this year.
Best, TOBY
Chironex
02-07-2009, 07:30 PM
[quote=Toby;63264]We have had E. perrieri seeds a couple of times, the last time was August or September 07. We have some plants growing at a friends farm in Mada now and I hope seed quality will improve this way from the wild collected seeds when we get the first harvest. The species is easy to tell apart from the seeds as they are distinctly warty, not smooth.
Best, TOBY
QUOTE]
Hi Toby,
So any idea when RPS will offer the sds of the E perrieri again? I missed them the last time.
Tog
Toby, I missed them too and the 150 seeds I got must have been too old as the embryos were all dried up. I sure would like to get a few hundred seeds myself.
Thanks!
I finally found the photo of the day this Ensete was planted. Here it is right after I planted it on 5/28/08. They had just finished construction of two new bedrooms for the Bali House (a vacation rental home that I manage). This was the first plant that I planted in this new bed. There were some crotons that were already growing there, but not much else. I have since filled it with all kinds of palms, bananas, Ti plants and other ornamentals.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/DSC_0577.jpg
I took an updated photo of my largest E. perrieri today. Here it is exactly 10 months after planting. A couple weeks ago, I trimmed about 8-10 leaves from the bottom. They were shading my palms and other plants and I wanted some air circulation under there. The plant is holding about 20 leaves right now and the newest ones are more than 8 feet long.
The other 9 plants have not had any watering during our dry season. We have only had a few light showers in the last 2 months and everything is very dry here. The ones with no supplemental watering are now putting out very stunted leaves and appear to be going into dormancy. I'll get some photos of them soon.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P3280041.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P3280039.jpg
And one last photo taken from the balcony of the house.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P3280005.jpg
Chironex
03-30-2009, 12:32 AM
Jeff, I have said it before and I'll say it again, those are just gorgeous! Still trying to get just one stinking seed to germinate - grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
Thanks Scot!
Here is what the others look like. These were planted in an area where they get no supplemental water or care. The large one (that I have been posting photos of) was planted in a raised bed of good loose soil and it gets watered about once a week. These only get rainfall, and we haven't had much at all in the last two and a half months. I'm thinking that they will perk up and start growing again once the rainy season starts next month (or hopefully sooner!)
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050010.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050015.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050016.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050017.jpg
Chironex
04-09-2009, 12:59 AM
I ordered 100 seeds of Ensete perrieri from RPS and they arrived in June 2007.
The seeds were large, hard like a stone, and covered in pockmarks.
I just re-read this part of your initial post on this thread. This corroborates the description of E perrieri seeds that Frank and I have mentioned, if you mean warty on the surface.
Thanks for the additional pics, too.
LilRaverBoi
04-09-2009, 01:57 PM
GREAT PICTURES! Those are some stellar-looking plants! I don't really know much about that variety of Ensete, but they look very striking! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Bryan! I don't know much about this particular Ensete either. I ordered the seeds so I could trial them here in Costa Rica and see how they would perform as an ornamental plant. So far so good, as long as they receive regular water.
Chironex
04-10-2009, 03:19 PM
Those pictures are killing me! I just have to get one somehow. Maybe Tog can germinate some for me. I am sending the rest of my seeds to him.
On another note, I just had 4 sprouts of M. violascens come up!
Lagniappe
04-10-2009, 07:35 PM
.......if you've ever sent banana seeds to a freind overseas so that he could germinate them for you!
Chironex
04-10-2009, 07:46 PM
hahahahahaaa!!!!!!
jmoore
05-15-2009, 07:57 AM
Ensete perrieri - Paradise Palms - Exotic Plants Trees Bamboos Seeds (http://www.paradise-palms.co.uk/ensete-perrieri-p-327.html)
found these as source of ensete perrieri seeds, don't know if they're fresh, I've just bought some other seeds from here.
51st state
05-16-2009, 04:09 AM
well if you get any to grow, you let me know. I've tried twice with loads of seeds from different souces and got nowhere.
Updated photo taken today - the largest one.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/018.jpg
LilRaverBoi
06-16-2009, 12:34 AM
That is beautiful! I hope my Ensete superbum looks that good someday!
Thanks Scot!
Here is what the others look like. These were planted in an area where they get no supplemental water or care. The large one (that I have been posting photos of) was planted in a raised bed of good loose soil and it gets watered about once a week. These only get rainfall, and we haven't had much at all in the last two and a half months. I'm thinking that they will perk up and start growing again once the rainy season starts next month (or hopefully sooner!)
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050010.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050015.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050016.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/P4050017.jpg
I thought I would post some updated photos now that the rainy season is here again. Just as I hoped, when the rains started they really recovered nicely. These are the same plants as above which are growing on a steep hill. Some were planted in full sun and the leaves on these plants grow upright. The others were planted along a tree line and get morning sun only. The ones grown in more shade have a more relaxed look.
Planted in the sun
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/014.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/027.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/023.jpg
and planted in mostly shade
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/031.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/tpajeff/021.jpg
Dalmatiansoap
06-28-2009, 03:49 AM
Really great looking plants :).
:woohoonaner:
Updated photos taken today of the largest one. Almost two years from planting. Many of the lower leaves have been removed to allow more light and rain to the other plants around it.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31312&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31312)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31311&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31311)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31310&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31310)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31313&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31313)
Dalmatiansoap
05-04-2010, 12:21 PM
Just beautifull!
:nanadrink:
Here are a few photos of my other Ensete perrieri that are growing on a hillside. These do not get any supplemental watering during the dry season and they are never fertilized.
A row of plants in the sun
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31331&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31331)
More upright leaves in full sun
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31329&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31329)
More relaxed leaves on the plants in the shade
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=31330&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=31330)
LilRaverBoi
05-05-2010, 01:01 PM
Very beautiful...you must be doing an excellent job with them! They all look quite healthy! Thanks for the pics!
Dean W.
05-13-2010, 06:09 PM
Keep us updated, Jeff. If and when they go to seed... I'd like to try a few.:goteam:
raggedyredhead
05-13-2010, 11:46 PM
Jeff, I have said it before and I'll say it again, those are just gorgeous! Still trying to get just one stinking seed to germinate - grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
Keep the faith. I planted 36 ensete seeds. I scarified,soaked in hot water for four days and had them on a heat matt under lights. First one germinated at
two weeks and damped off. Two more came up by the 3rd and 4th week.
They are doing well. I check my seeds every day & nothing. A few just rotted away but I'm hanging in there. I know I did everything right. These seeds are
difficult only if what you get isn't viable to begin with.:2722:
Updated photos today
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33815&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33815&ppuser=43)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33816&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33816&ppuser=43)
the flying dutchman
07-08-2010, 07:08 AM
Good job, 3 years ago we didn't knew much about this specie, i think there was only one single photo of the plant available at that time. Keep us
updated Jeff...
Ron
Bananaman88
07-08-2010, 11:58 AM
Very nice! Costa Rica is on my travel list.
Dean W.
07-24-2010, 05:45 AM
Any updates, Jeff?
I'll take an updated pic tomorrow. I walked by that plant earlier today and as usual I had to stop and stare.... It's enormous!
griphuz
07-29-2010, 04:20 AM
I wonder what the flower would look like....
Can you tel us anything about the color of the sap when you cut a leaf? That seems to be a way of identification as well.
Kind regards,
Remko.
Photos taken this afternoon
From the third floor balcony
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35002&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35002)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35001&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35001)
in front
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35000&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35000)
from second floor balcony
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34999&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34999)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34998&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34998)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34997&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34997)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34996&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34996)
Dalmatiansoap
07-29-2010, 06:42 PM
Simply beautifull
:woohoonaner:
I realized that I didn't take any updated photos of the base of the plant so as I was walking by it today I took a few photos.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35145&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35145)
with a size 12 shoe for scale
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35146&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35146)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35148&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35148)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35147&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35147)
Last photo for a while. I'll post some updated photos in a couple months
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35149&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35149)
LilRaverBoi
08-01-2010, 10:43 PM
Wow...that is huge! And the leaves look smaller...possibly getting ready to bloom? I dunno...just like to plant that seed of hope!
I don't know Bryan, these plants are almost three years old now (from germination). I'm not sure how long they take until they flower.
The leaves look larger than ever to me. But they could be getting smaller due to a big change in the amount of sun the plant is getting. It was planted in a spot where it only got a few hours of mid morning sun and then it was in shade for the rest of the afternoon. I thought that was originally why the leaves were so stretched on this one. Then around the first of June we had a damaging windstorm in this area and the huge ficus tree that was shading the Ensete came crashing down. It fell the OTHER way, into the forest (thank goodness!) otherwise it would have crushed the house and the Ensete. Now it's in full sun from mid morning until late afternoon. With the increased sun exposure, the leaves may be getting shorter.
BTW, the ficus that fell down was also blocking my view of the water. I live up on the hillside (behind this house) and over the last few years the ficus grew up and blocked my view. Now at least I have my view back! I stood next to the uprooted rootball and it was a few feet higher than my head. That was a big tree!
griphuz
08-02-2010, 03:06 AM
Hi Jeff,
Do you know anything about thwe colour of the sap when you cut a leaf?
This seems to be a way of determination as well.
Kind regards,
Remko.
Hi Remko, I've cut lots of leaves from this plant and never noticed anything different about the sap. As far as I can remember, it is clear although I will make a note to check it the next time.
LilRaverBoi
08-02-2010, 11:42 AM
I don't know Bryan, these plants are almost three years old now (from germination). I'm not sure how long they take until they flower.
The leaves look larger than ever to me. But they could be getting smaller due to a big change in the amount of sun the plant is getting.
I dunno, I was mostly talking about this picture:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35001&size=1
Looks like the most recent leaf is smaller than the others. Overall, the leaves look MASSIVE!!! I want to have something with that big of leaves growing in my yard! I dunno, maybe they're not super close to blooming, but after 3 years, you're probably coming up on it sometime in the near future! Make sure, when they do bloom, that you get plenty of pics cause I've hardly heard of this species being grown and haven't seen any pics of the blooms.
You may be right. Maybe it is getting close to blooming. I was hoping it would get a little taller first, but if it flowers soon I will be happy.
Trust me, when it happens I will be taking daily photos of the flower!!
LilRaverBoi
08-02-2010, 09:13 PM
I was hoping it would get a little taller first, but if it flowers soon I will be happy.
Well, if I were to base its size on E. superbum and E. ventricosum (which bear the most similarity to its morphology (especially superbum)), I would say it is nearly at mature height. Who knows, maybe since conditions are fairly good (now without the ficus) it might get a bit larger, but it's pretty 'up there' in terms of mature size IMO.
Def. want to extend some congrats on getting such beautiful plants to grow for ya! I really wish I had a few of those in my yard (the yard I don't currently have...aka the 'rooftop jungle' LOL)!!
Thanks for the info Bryan! I really have no experience with Ensetes so this is still kind of new to me. Initially I was hoping to enjoy that plant for at least two or three years before it flowered, so I guess I should be happy that it is still around. But, I really do look forward to seeing the first flower!
Here are the other 8 plants that are growing on a hillside in two rows. I haven't photographed them since May and they have really grown a lot in the last few months, so I took some updated photos today. You can see some insect damage on the leaves.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35170&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35170)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35168&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35168)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35169&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35169)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35171&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35171)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35172&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35172)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35173&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35173)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35174&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35174)
I think my largest E. perrieri is finally getting ready to flower. The leaves have been getting shorter and shorter and the last leaf was quite a bit shorter than the rest. This newest leaf also had a bright red patch near the bottom of the petiole. It was bright red a few days ago but the color had faded a little by the time I took the photo yesterday. The base of the plant has also been swelling so I think the flower will be coming soon. I'll keep photographing it as it develops.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39556&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39556)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39557&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39557)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39558&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39558)
Since my largest E. perrieri appears to be ready to bloom I thought I would check my other 8 plants that are growing in another area of the property. I haven't checked these plants in about 6 weeks and today I was surprised to find one of them is already blooming!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39573&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39573)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39574&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39574)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39575&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39575)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39576&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39576)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39577&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39577)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39579&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39579)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39578&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39578)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39580&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39580)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39581&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39581)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39583&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39583)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39586&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39586)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39585&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39585)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39587&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39587)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39588&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39588)
With my friend Richard for scale
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=39589&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39589)
I checked the photos on the RPS site again and this Ensete does not look like the ones in the RPS photos. So, I have no idea if this is truly E. perrieri or not. Just a couple days ago I was cleaning out a junk drawer and found the original invoice from when I first received these seeds 3.5 years ago. I verified that it indeed said "E. perrieri - 100 seeds".
I recently received a request for leaf samples for DNA analysis so I guess I will know for sure once that is completed. I will update this thread when I know more.
Dalmatiansoap
12-30-2010, 03:36 AM
Congrats Jeff!
Start seed waiting list:ha:
:nanadrink:
Well done!
Markku Hakkinen
12-30-2010, 04:38 AM
I checked the photos on the RPS site again and this Ensete does not look like the ones in the RPS photos. So, I have no idea if this is truly E. perrieri or not. Just a couple days ago I was cleaning out a junk drawer and found the original invoice from when I first received these seeds 3.5 years ago. I verified that it indeed said "E. perrieri - 100 seeds".
I recently received a request for leaf samples for DNA analysis so I guess I will know for sure once that is completed. I will update this thread when I know more.
Hi Jeff,
It is Ensete suberbum. You are going to have a lot of seeds. It seeds are smaller and smooth compare to E.perrieri seeds.
Best wishes,
Markku.
Thanks Markku. When I saw the flower and started looking up photos on the internet, that's the conclusion I came to also. Thanks for confirming!
I'm very disappointed that these arrived labeled as "E. perrieri" only to find out 3.5 years later that I got the wrong seeds...
Can someone change the title of this topic to E. superbum? :)
Markku Hakkinen
12-30-2010, 12:02 PM
Hi Eric,
It is not the first time that someone is having mislabelled seeds.
Best wishes,
Markku.
Well, I'm still happy with these plants even though they are not E. perrieri. The one planted by the house is a MONSTER! Everyone who walks by it always asks (in amazement) "what IS that?" I can't wait for that one to flower!
nannerfunboi
12-31-2010, 06:00 PM
wow.. im jealous jeff !!!
i would kill to have any of my nanners get that big!! :goteam:
my ensete maruelli's seem to be ok in storage so far..
always on look out for another banana to try to grow here in
utah.. that i can bring in..and plant out again next yr..
its suppose to get near 0F tonite.. sigh.. but the snows great
thanks all.. happy new years !!!!
I thought I would post on update on these plants.
That first flower now looks like this. A couple of the fruit are starting to turn yellow. Does anyone know the best time to cut it down to collect seed?
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44870&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44870)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44868&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44868)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44869&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44869)
A second plant is now flowering
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44871&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44871)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44872&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44872)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44874&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44874)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44873&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44873)
The largest E. superbum planted next to the Bali House still has not flowered. I thought it was getting ready to flower six months ago, but it just keeps on growing..
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=44875&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44875)
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