Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

Anybody familiar with red bananas? I found this growing in Nola. At least 8ft tall very strong stalk. No flowers, bell was cut off during development.







After posting to Facebook plant identification, we have Musa Sumatrana, which I am familiar with only by name. Not sure if this is it, or if this is another species.

Assuming it is M. Sumatrana, can we tell what cultivar?

Musa Sumatrana - is this a banana used to create "over 300 varieties of East Afrikan Highland bananas including plantains" as I've read somewhere? If pollinated, does it make seed?

- Fish

Re: Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

Zabrina

Re: Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

The Red Rowe is an edible variety. My mat is still young... but that trunk looks pretty thick compared to the Rowe.

Re: Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

My guess is Musa Bordelon which is found in your area.

There is not too much mottling on a mature plants leaf.

But hard to tell for me

.
Musa Bordelon
by
Hostafarian, on Flickr

Re: Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

It is not 'Bordelon' or the true M. acuminata subsp. sumatrana, or true M. acuminata subsp. zebrina. This one is an edible cultivar.

For how common this plant is, it's true identity and origins are still a but murky. It may be Bill Lessard's 'Grande Naine x Sumatrana', or it may be 'Rowe Red', as those might be the same plants, as they are also both a bit mysterious.

It is normally sold as either 'Zebrina', 'Sumatrana' or 'Blood Banana', but perhaps 'Blood Banana' is a good enough name as it does not confuse it with the wild species.

Re: Blood Banana in New Orleans?
 

This thread is also about this same plant: http://www.bananas.org/f2/edible-var...ana-37424.html