elaineo

I created my account when I bought my first banana plants, then promptly forgot about both the account and the plants. For the first time ever, my plants have formed flowers, and I am suddenly interested in them again

Can anyone help me ID these?

The first one is over 12' tall. I bought a pup from someone on craigslist. She said this variety doesn't set fruit, but I swear I see some tiny fruits forming in the picture.

#1

The second one is about 4' tall. I *think* it was "California orinoco" from a big box store but I can't remember.

(Well, I can't seem to upload the second photo, so I'll just ask for help with #1 for now. Thanks in advance!)

Reminosys

Yep, congrats on the fruit you're about to get! If you can get more pictures as the bunch and flowers develop, folks here can help ID the banana. Don't cut off the male bud before getting pictures though, that can be really helpful in narrowing down what variety it is. A pic of the whole plant and the leaf stalk canal would also be helpful. Some of the more experienced folks here might nail it on that picture alone though.

(Tentative guess, based on the bud shape, bract lifting without rolling, and female flower color, is that it's an Orinoco/Bluggoe. Wouldn't bet money on my guess though.)

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Aspiring botanist | Trash horticulturist

elaineo

Okay, I got the second photo uploaded. This is flower #2, from a different plant:
#2.

Reminosys

Weird that this one doesn't have any fruit on it, but #2 is definitely an Orinoco/Bluggoe.

Because Orinoco bananas are so widespread and easy to grow, there's been many random mutations that accumulate over time in different lineages. Orinocos are probably the best example of the difficulty in distinguishing cultivars, in that, "at what point does it become a different variety from the original?" That's not even factoring in how some banana varieties can "revert" to a parent type, nor how different growing conditions can affect how a single variety grows.

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Aspiring botanist | Trash horticulturist

elaineo

Thank you for the input! I got the two plants from different sources, so it's not surprising that they behave differently. Should I cut the flower off so the plant doesn't waste energy on a fruitless flower? While I'm at it, should I cut the flower off #1 as well? It's November, and I don't think the fruit can develop through the winter. Or should I start a new thread for my n00b questions?

Reminosys

I'm far less versed in the cultivation of bananas, so hopefully someone else can chime in here. As to whether to lop off the flower, it sounds reasonable enough to do. Probably leave the leaves to slowly die back on their own, so that the plant can store more energy before winter really hits.

As for what to do with #1, it does depend on some factors. Bananas can survive outdoors in zone 9b, but the fruit growth might be stunted from cold. The microclimate also plays a part, but it ultimately is a gamble on weather conditions. Cutting it off now seems a reasonable course of action. Were it me, I'd run the risk and keep it on, but that's probably only because I haven't been at this long enough to get a harvest.

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Aspiring botanist | Trash horticulturist

elaineo

Thanks! This is my first harvest, so I am very excited. Then again, I have spent the last decade killing banana plants. (Not on purpose; I'm just really bad at it.) So I'm paranoid. I mean, bananas are 75 cents a pound. Banana plants are... a lot more :\