Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hello Ya’ll:

I had quite a pleasant surprise today. :drum: I was looking at one of my groves. This is one that really to be cut because of damage.
Lo and behold…a flower. Last thing I expected this summer. I think they are m. basjoo. Maybe Saba.
I really am not sure. The plants were anywhere from 21 to 23 feet tall before I had to cut.
When she blooms, I will be able to find out. :D Here are the pictures.

This is a side view that shows the cuts and the flower:



This is a top view. It also shows the flower and a pretty good view of the cut:


These are the leaves seven days before I cut.
The fence board is a six footer.

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

That is so cool!!!!

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Just don't be getting your hopes up on eating the fruit. With no leaves and a micro bloom it ain't happening.
What variety are these?
Mike

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hi Mike,
I have been under the impression that these are m. basjoo. Lately, I have wondered if they are Saba. The base width of the p-stems are 25 inches around and height of the plant I estimated at about 23 feet tall. These were as tall as my palms. I am hoping the flower on the "micro bloom" will settle it once and for all. Have a great week.

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Kenzie:
That's a rare happening, a bloom right after the cut.It seems to me that the damage that you sustained the plant had was preventing new leaves and the flag/bloom to emerge.Just a thought.

tropicalkid:cool:

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

From what I can see in these pics, those look 100% NOT Musa basjoo. Cant say what they are yet, keep taking pics!

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

I don't have much experience in ID'ing bananas, but taking the size of the leaves before the cut, and the big green pseudostem base(not pink, not red, not completely covered with dried-out sheaths), it looks like saba.

tropicalkid:cool:

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hey Ya'll,

This is a picture I took of the grove on August 15, 2005. The fence is the six footer. You can really see the size of the leaves here. I think the one that has the flower is the one to the right of the right hand side of the pool hand rail. Go to the right and up from the corner of the rail and you will see a leaf. Follow the leaf up and you will see a p-stem. I believe that is the one.

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hello Ya'll:
Sorry for the delay. I have been away. Here is a picture of the microbloom. I hope there is enough there it get a positive ID. I have only recently been able to turn the irrigation back on. The fruits are between four and five inchs long. Thank you for your help.

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hi Kenzie,

Wow, that really is cool! I would estimate the height in that Aug. pic to be more like 15-18 ft. I don't think Basjoo get more than 12 ft. so if your only choices are Basjoo and Saba - it's got to be a Saba.

I am also in South Alabama and mine are all growing still despite the cool mornings. I have one of the native bananas over 10 ft. tall and I thought I saw the flag emerging the other day, but it turned out to be just another 6 ft. leaf. Was your big one a native or did you buy and plant it? We had some of the skinnier native ones like this bloom and fruit at about 15 ft. one fall in Loxley. But they then got whacked by the 2 hurricanes that year ('95 or so).

I am particularly intrigued by the fact that the bloom was the first thing to emerge when you cut. The biological ramifications are really interesting. If you figure that bloom was developing inside the p-stem, it still had some 10 feet to go to emerge at the top! Now, that is amazing! How long after you cut did it take?

I am still thinking this could really be a way to get fruit faster and at a shorter height. If you have a mat with, say 10 plants that are 8-10 feet tall, then cut them all off at about waist or shoulder height, I would expect some (if not most) to spit out a few leaves then flower. Of course your length of growing season will mean a lot, but you could always stick a cold frame over them after you cut and prolong it.

Re: Cut p-stem yields surprise - ideas on ID please
 

Hello Casa Del Gatos,
Greetings from Mobile. I really feel like these are Saba as well. I am hoping the picture will help to settle. They came with the house. The former owner said the plants came from his office. Sort of an added bonus. The flower appeared about fourteen days after I cut the p-stem. It may have been earlier. I was so upset that the groves were blasted that I just let them be. I actually work with the former house owner. He told me that he normally would just cut the grove back in the winter. He said two to three feet from the ground. Spring they are back and sometimes they fruit. I may try that tack this winter. I may leave some alone and experiment with the others by cutting. We shall see. Take care – Cheers.