Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Greetings friends!

About 20 months ago I ordered some tissue cultured bananas from a mail order nursery. I purchased Musa Apple Bananas and Zan Moreno Bananas. Now that the bananas are fruiting, I suspect I received neither and would love an ID if possible.

Mystery Banana 1.

This was supposedly the Musa Apple Banana. However, the high starch content of the fruit and the shape makes me think it's more of a cooking banana. The cubans around here purchase them from me as a cooking banana. It is about 6 feet tall not counting the leaves, survived 34 degree weather no problem, and the fruit are about 6 inches long with a high starch content.







Mystery Banana 2.

This was supposedly a Zan Moreno Banana. I really can't tell the difference between it and the first Mystery Banana and for all I know, they're the same. All the other details are the same.







Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Seem like Dwarf Orinoco
:nanadrink:

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Yeah, Dwarf Orinoco.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

dwarf orinoco

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Orinoco. Common around Dade County and a sturdy prolific variety, we use mainly for cooking.

S.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

I vote Dwarf Orinoco, also.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Im no expert, but from ALL of my years experience, I would put all my money on Orinoco. I have grown them for 20 years just to fry and eat. They are also very winter hardy and even take a light frost. They should be a requirement in everyones collection. Nothing like fried ripe hog bananas (Orinoco)

Salute'
rick

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Just send me the pups. I'd like to try them here in Pensacola and see if I can get an earlier bloom (before June 1st) and take up less space! Less space equals more mats.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Kind of looks like a Cali Gold.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

I don't think I have ever seen the long striations "look" on my regular Orinocos. Is that a common look or environmental?

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Cali Gold seems to be a variant of Dwarf Orinoco.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

It sure is!

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Isn't that just damage from thrips? I get them on Ice Creams but it's usually controlled by spraying soapy water.

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

Don't think it is thrips as they usually look like a pimple on the skin.

:0517:

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

I must admit that the tree is very short.. My Orinoco's are all at least 10-15' tall but the fruit is the proof of variety. I have often gotten those striations on my fruits and never given it a though other than that is part of this species characteristics. They are just there. Looking at those ripe fruits make my mouth water just thinking of how good they will be after a couple more days of ripening almost to over ripe, just so I can fry them up. They are like candy.....

rick

Re: Need help identifying two bananas please
 

I'm making a promise to myself to fry some up this year. I have only eaten them fresh.

It is depressing knowing that we have so long to wait for ours to ripen. With the Dwarfs maybe one could have several more months of fruit growing them in a greenhouse. I certainly couldn't grow the regular ones in a green house. They get Big!