Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant?

Lau · 11-15-2014, 12:50 PM

Hi everyone I have been trying to ID this banana plant that I planted in my yard in the late 90's. I have been looking at pictures of banana trees and buds and I think it could be a Williams Banana plant. What do you guys think? Susan

Lau · 11-16-2014, 08:37 PM

I was doing a little more research and I believe I have a tall Cavendish type banana plant. It could be a Williams, Giant Cavendish, or Valery plant. The banana plant is about 10' Tall and 3' around at the base of the plant. The Pseudostem has dark brown and black and the rachis looks like it will be mostly bare. The male flowers were white with yellow tips and a the dead flowers do not fall off the bananas. Susan

venturabananas · 11-17-2014, 12:05 PM

I couldn't tell you which Cavendish cultivar you have, but I agree that it is a Cavendish. I would call it a medium height one, not tall. There are tall Cavendish cultivars that average around 15', rather than 10'. If the rachis ends up being clean, then Williams is as good a guess as any.

Nicolas Naranja · 11-20-2014, 01:47 PM

Williams is a likely candidate as it is widely tissue cultured and available in the nursery industry.

Lau · 01-01-2015, 08:55 PM

Cavendish type banana plant update. It looks like the rachis is clean, so maybe it is a Williams. The bananas from the first plant started to turn yellow. They have a lemony flavor. Does the Williams bananas have a lemony flavor? Thanks Susan

PR-Giants · 01-02-2015, 07:35 AM

Your photos are very small, but the shape of the male bud does not look like a Williams.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lau

Cavendish type banana plant update. It looks like the rachis is clean, so maybe it is a Williams. The bananas from the first plant started to turn yellow. They have a lemony flavor. Does the Williams bananas have a lemony flavor? Thanks Susan

Lau · 01-02-2015, 09:40 AM

Thanks any idea what it could be? If you click on the photo it gets a little bigger. I can put them in the photo gallery sometimes but I don't know how to get them from the gallery to the thread.

Thanks again Susan

Lau · 01-02-2015, 10:04 AM

I uploaded some photos to my gallery "Unknown Cavendish". Thanks for your help

venturabananas · 01-02-2015, 12:11 PM

Just click on your photo in the gallery, which will bring up the photo and three fields, one of which is "code for bulletin boards" and paste that into you message.

venturabananas · 01-02-2015, 12:15 PM

I'm not sure what you have. All the Cavendish varieties basically taste the same to me. I wouldn't describe any as tasting lemony, but someone else might. The couple of Cavendish varieties I grow taste the same as supermarket ones to me, more or less, except they are sweeter and ripen a little differently.

Lau · 01-02-2015, 12:48 PM

Thanks for your help. These bananas don't taste like the ones found in the store. I think they are better very lemony. They look a little different than the store bought ones a little fatter. The peels are kind of shiny or glossy.

Lau · 01-02-2015, 01:04 PM

It can't be that special of a banana plant, because I got it from Home Depot or Armstrong's years ago and I don't think they sell exotic varieties. Maybe it isn't even a Cavendish Banana. It taste good its a keeper.

robguz24 · 01-02-2015, 01:29 PM

Goldfinger? It looks a bit like the ones I got from Agri-starts originally. It has a tangy flavor that could be described as lemony, and I've seen them for sale a big box stores in CA. The petioles are not as open as they are on cavendish types I've grown. Male flowers sound similar to the "goldfinger" I have.

Lau · 01-02-2015, 02:03 PM

Are Goldfinger Banana Plants all green or do they have brown spots or areas on the Pseudostem? I was thinking maybe Goldfinger too, but then I read that the Goldfinger plant is all green.

Lau · 01-02-2015, 02:30 PM

Thanks Rob, I went to the Banana Wiki and this plant does look similar to a Goldfinger Banana Plant.

PR-Giants · 01-02-2015, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lau

Thanks Rob, I went to the Banana Wiki and this plant does look similar to a Goldfinger Banana Plant.

Susan & Rob, did/does your "Goldfinger" have a hairy peduncle?

venturabananas · 01-02-2015, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robguz24

Goldfinger? It looks a bit like the ones I got from Agri-starts originally. It has a tangy flavor that could be described as lemony, and I've seen them for sale a big box stores in CA. The petioles are not as open as they are on cavendish types I've grown. Male flowers sound similar to the "goldfinger" I have.

That makes a lot of sense. They do sell Goldfinger at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. and would explain the tart flavor. The male bud doesn't look quite as "top shaped" as you might expect for Goldfinger, but it's in the right neighborhood. The bunch doesn't look quite right for a Cavendish bunch.

Lau · 01-02-2015, 05:03 PM

I just went and checked and it looks like it has a hairy peduncle

robguz24 · 01-02-2015, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lau

Are Goldfinger Banana Plants all green or do they have brown spots or areas on the Pseudostem? I was thinking maybe Goldfinger too, but then I read that the Goldfinger plant is all green.

Mine have some brown, not as much as in your pics though, and the peduncle is about as hairy as your pics show.

venturabananas · 01-02-2015, 08:39 PM

FHIA-01 can have a lot of black/brown on it. Click to zoom in on Gabe's photo below, as an example.

11-17-2014, 12:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 238,856 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,968 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? I couldn't tell you which Cavendish cultivar you have, but I agree that it is a Cavendish. I would call it a medium height one, not tall. There are tall Cavendish cultivars that average around 15', rather than 10'. If the rachis ends up being clean, then Williams is as good a guess as any. __________________

11-20-2014, 01:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 460,526 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Williams is a likely candidate as it is widely tissue cultured and available in the nursery industry. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

01-02-2015, 09:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Thanks any idea what it could be? If you click on the photo it gets a little bigger. I can put them in the photo gallery sometimes but I don't know how to get them from the gallery to the thread. Thanks again Susan

01-02-2015, 10:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? I uploaded some photos to my gallery "Unknown Cavendish". Thanks for your help

01-02-2015, 12:11 PM	#9 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 238,856 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,968 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Just click on your photo in the gallery, which will bring up the photo and three fields, one of which is "code for bulletin boards" and paste that into you message. __________________

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01-02-2015, 12:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 238,856 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,968 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? I'm not sure what you have. All the Cavendish varieties basically taste the same to me. I wouldn't describe any as tasting lemony, but someone else might. The couple of Cavendish varieties I grow taste the same as supermarket ones to me, more or less, except they are sweeter and ripen a little differently. __________________

01-02-2015, 12:48 PM	#11 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Thanks for your help. These bananas don't taste like the ones found in the store. I think they are better very lemony. They look a little different than the store bought ones a little fatter. The peels are kind of shiny or glossy.

01-02-2015, 01:04 PM	#12 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? It can't be that special of a banana plant, because I got it from Home Depot or Armstrong's years ago and I don't think they sell exotic varieties. Maybe it isn't even a Cavendish Banana. It taste good its a keeper.

01-02-2015, 01:29 PM	#13 (permalink)
robguz24 Rob Location: Kalapana, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 11 Name: Rob Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,506 BananaBucks : 260,866 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times Was Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Goldfinger? It looks a bit like the ones I got from Agri-starts originally. It has a tangy flavor that could be described as lemony, and I've seen them for sale a big box stores in CA. The petioles are not as open as they are on cavendish types I've grown. Male flowers sound similar to the "goldfinger" I have. __________________ My micro-farm Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

01-02-2015, 02:03 PM	#14 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Are Goldfinger Banana Plants all green or do they have brown spots or areas on the Pseudostem? I was thinking maybe Goldfinger too, but then I read that the Goldfinger plant is all green.

01-02-2015, 02:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? Thanks Rob, I went to the Banana Wiki and this plant does look similar to a Goldfinger Banana Plant.

01-02-2015, 05:03 PM	#18 (permalink)
Lau Location: Long Beach, California Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Susan Lau Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 573 BananaBucks : 77,390 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times Was Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? I just went and checked and it looks like it has a hairy peduncle

01-02-2015, 08:39 PM	#20 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 238,856 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,968 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: Does this look Like a Williams Banana Plant? FHIA-01 can have a lot of black/brown on it. Click to zoom in on Gabe's photo below, as an example. __________________

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