estan

Hi Everyone!

I've been lurking, reading posts and finally want to introduce myself. I am surprised to be the only Ohioan on the map. I've been growing bananas most recently for the past 8 yrs. and still have my orig. E. v. maurelii. I have around 20 varieties/species now. I've had Basjoo outside for 5 years. usually resprouting from the roots. Once from the old stalks. This year about head height at the top of the four stalks. OSU-ATI in Wooster has had them outside for about that long too.

I got hooked on tropicals on a family trip to Fla. when I was 9. Was photographed with a traveler's palm then and came full circle early '06 standing by a 50 foot clump in Honduras. Now I have 7 little ones in my bedroom window. We got a family greenhouse when I was 12. I also have 20 types of elephant ear and am looking for 'Borneo Giant.' I'm interested in selling/buying or trading.

Since '01 I have a (pole and plastic) greenhouse again and had room for my two 12', two yr old M. sikkimensis seedlings this fall. I also have a cold root cellar, a warm basement light room, a south facing 12' wide window wall in a south facing garden room. And the heating pads in my south facing bedroom window.

I am a retired art professor following my other passion - botany, (I double majored) and sell hard to find plants, temperate and tropical from my driveway.

I feel much better since learning one of you also lost a variegated E.v. maurelii
Mine survived several years. I have great photos and also of a mature fruiting one in Honduras. About 20 ft tall, not var.

I'm interested in M. itinerans and am really curious about M. ingens. I thought it would need tropical humidity. Transpacific had itinerans but sold out. I figured that would be a good sub. for ingens. Also who has E. superbum and how big does it really get?

I have never been able to keep any of the ornamentals velutina, ornata, uranoscopas alive long enough to bloom. Saw lots of the later blooming in northern Honduras.

Am also wondering if M. laterita is same as M. ornata bronze?

My new seedlings are sikkimensis, E. glauca, laterita/ornata and balbisiana.
The latter has naturalized in Honduras and Belize.

I'm also looking for "thous. finger" I had some from banana garden but they didn't make last winter in my cool 55o greenhouse. Has anyone bought from the Liner Farm in Fla. recently? I got my first ones there in '99.

1000 Finger was fruited in a pot in Ohio - saw it in a newspaper photo. About 3 feet tall. So I got interested. Customers always want fruit. I'm content with fantastic leaves.

I guess this is more than an introduction (Sorry, I'm a writer too.)
If you got this far, thanks.

Stan Kaufman

STEELVIPER

Welcome. I Had a E.superbum grow about 12 feet for me. Mine lived for about 4 years but it died before it flowered.DAM!!! LOL. I have 3 footer grown from seed at the moment.

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wim

Welcome aboard !

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With kind regards
Wim

estan

Thanks, Steelviper and wim, for your welcome.

Am looking forward to future contacts.

Just bought 'Hua Moa' this week.

Stan