Las Palmas Norte

This one is streaked with variegation not splotched like some varieties.
Zebrina, young acuminata, sumatrana, or something else? Thanks in advance.

Attached Images

Musa1.jpg (691.9 KB, 33 views)

Jeff zone 8 N.C.

The label looks like it says "Musa Basjoo" "Cold Hardy Banana" but if so I do not remember red stripes so could be a new Basjoo if labeled correctly.

Las Palmas Norte

I spoke with the owner at length about what she had. I mentioned that as long as M basjoo has been available, I have never seen red striping on the leaves like that. There was one specimen amongst that grouping that was basjoo. She admitted not to be too knowledgeable with bananas in general and was open to anything I could find to identify these. Humm.

Jeff zone 8 N.C.

Just noticed the red leaf backs. Musa sikkemensis?

sirdoofus

I didn't even notice where you are located when first looking at this thread, so now I am truly curious. I am just north of you in Courtenay. Did the lady you got those from suggest they were outdoor hardy around here? Did she give you any other info on how she came by them, or how she has been growing them? If they are over-winterable outdoors in our climate, then that narrows down the list to only a couple of potential options - sikkimenses as Jeff Zone 8 N.C. mentioned being one (and difficult to come by in Canada, at least in my experience).

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Phyllostachys

Looks to me like sikkimensis, and it would make sense for a shop in BC to sell sikkimensis without knowing what it is.

Morgan Creek Tropicals, one of the main tropical plant wholesale suppliers in BC, has been occasionally been selling Musa sikkimensis without specifying the name in their availability/sales list. I've seen it listed on their list as "Red Tiger Banana", and the vendor confirmed that it was indeed sikkimensis. They sell it (or used to sell it) as an indoor plant, erroneously telling their customers that it couldn't survive outside here.

Attached Images

Screenshot_20230709-181725_Gmail.jpg (415.9 KB, 7 views)

sirdoofus

Banana identification/nomenclature being what it is, anything is possible, but I've heard that sikkimensis 'red tiger' or 'bengal tiger' or 'darjeeling giant', may be hybrids with other, less cold tolerant varieties, and therefore not as hardy as the more subdued (still beautiful) varieties sold as 'straight' sikkimensis. But if anyone has experience/success overwintering any of these cultivars outdoors in Canada, I would be very interested to hear about it

I have seen these cultivars sold occasionally at nurseries in BC, but I haven't some across 'straight' sikkimensis, or more importantly, anyone who has been able to overwinter a plant labeled sikkimensis outdoors in Canada. I had one Just outside of Portland, Oregon, growing at elevation that overwintered beautifully, and would love to find one here. (I will have to check out Morgan Creek Tropicals, I haven't heard about them).

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Phyllostachys

Morgan Creek only sell wholesale and don't sell to individuals (I have an interior landscaping business), but Phoenix Perennials sells 'Bengal Tiger'and they do mail order.

I've been growing sikkimensis outdoors successfully since 2018 (in Victoria , then moved to East Van). I'll be making a post about my bananas soon, but the short version is this:
Since 2018 - Musa sikkimensis 'Bengal Tiger' (from Phoenix perennials). Protected some years to save pseudostem, other years left to grow back from the ground (which it does, without protection).

Since 2022 - Musa sikkimensis (unknown cultivar, from Morgan Creek). Planted it in a poor spot: heavy soil, in a cool, part sun spot that doesn't receive sun at all in winter and shoulder seasons, in a corner of the yard that stays wet all winter.. It was a young plant and I didn't protect it; initially thought it was dead, but it eventually surfaced and it is alive and growing well again now.

I'll dive into more detail about their colour when I make a post, but in general I've heard that many older cultivars of sikkimensis tended to be colourful when young, losing the red splotches as they mature.

Hope this helps entice you to try these mystery bananas, and to get more sikkimensis in the ground in BC!

sirdoofus

Excellent, that's fantastic to hear. I have been hoping to find a viable sikkimensis almost since I moved here from Portland. I have kept an eye on the catalogue at Phoenix Perrenials over the years but haven't pulled the trigger on the BT because I wasn't convinced it would work here. We are definitely cooler than Vic, but your success gives me enough hope that I will have to give it a try....Thank you!!

Looking forward to hearing more about your experience with bananas here in coastal BC.

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Las Palmas Norte

I should update my location status on the forum. I'm also now in Courtenay and will change that after this post. I have seen sikkemensis growing in friends gardens a number of years ago. The leaves have a very noticeable gloss and the ends are well rounded and not pointed like these, and certainly not variegated. Sikkimensis also has it's undersides of the leaves colored red-ish (liver) extensively.
Apparently these were left in a greenhouse setting which I believe wasn't allowed to become too cold. It's obvious that they are regenerating from the surviving previous plant(s) this year. So what these plants were exposed to as far as cold temps, I don't know.

Las Palmas Norte

Interesting. Maybe sikkimensis matures and develops different characteristics than what is seen here. It definitely doesn't look like the large sikkimensis I saw in Chemainus some years ago. I did receive a small gallon sized plant back then and it didn't look like these. As you state it may be a variety "Red Tiger".

sirdoofus

Excellent, another banana enthusiast in town, glad to hear it!

I think it is pretty common for young/small plants and/or new leaves to display more contrast which fades away to some degree as they age. I know this is true for the Helen's Hybrid (sikkimensis/chini champa hybrid) which displays very striking coloration when young but more subdued with age.

Worth growing those plants out to see what happens, I am happy to help

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Phyllostachys

Looking at my 3 sikkimemsis this morning, Palmas Norte's photo does look a different.. Hard to say what it might be. Are these in a store, or are these at someone's home? Am I seeing ti right that it has a $99 price tag? — IMHO a bit steep for a seller to ask that without a proper ID!

Here's info on my 3 sikkimensis to help compare:

My sikkimensis 'Bengal Tiger' (largest plant, against house) had pointier leaves on the new growth in May, but now the large mature leaves are more rounded at the tips (see attached photos). The colour on the leaf underside is more a coppery red.

The sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' is young (planted end of May - smaller plant against house) and you can see the elaves are still pointier. The colour on the leaf undersides is more purple wine red.

The sikkimensis sourced from Morgan Creek (planted in garden, not against house) looks a lot like the 'Red Tiger'. As I mentionned in my previous post, I deliberately planted this one in a bad/cold/winter wet spot without any mulch or protection to push its limits in East Vancouver (this was not in Vic! @sirdoofus). I think our winter low was around -13°C (~8F). It started growing later than my others (understandable!) but had started growing above ground by end of May.

Can't seem to add photos, so here's a link to a Google Photos Gallery of these plants

Las Palmas Norte

Pay no attention to the price tag. More info on these by the upcoming weekend.


"The sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' is young (planted end of May - smaller plant against house) and you can see the elaves are still pointier. The colour on the leaf undersides is more purple wine red."


These look very similar to what your pics show. I'd heard of these entering the market some years back but in limited quantities. We had (at my location) -11°C / 12°F last two winters as a season low. I'm still getting the lay of the land for exotics here. Thanks for your photos and the time spent on your thought here. Regards, Barrie.

Las Palmas Norte

sirdoofus

Those are some beautiful plants!!! The leaf in the first pic looks rather interesting.

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

sirdoofus

Definitely!

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Las Palmas Norte

Las Palmas Norte

sirdoofus

Definitely keep us posted, I am curious to learn what there is to learn about that plant. BTW, did you find that at a nursery here in town?

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??