Please help and identify this banana
 

I was given a pup back in the early to mid 90's. In was sickly looking and was planted in mud. I didn't think it would grow. To my surprise over 20 years later and the lineage is still going strong. This is the first time I have had one starting to fruit. So hopefully I can finally find out what kind of banana it is. I will post pictures as it continues to grow to help you experts identify it.

Thanks

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Looks orinoco to me

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

It could be tall Orinoco. Post pictures after the 2nd hand opens and it will be easier to ID.

Congrats on the flower!

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Please post an over-all picture of the plant. I've never seen an Orinoco bud that long in ratio to its width.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Yes that's tall Orinoco. They do have long flowers. The dwarf form however has a big short thick flower!

Keep the pics coming! Looking good! You should get a few hands out of it. I'm guessing 4 hands!!! Anyone else guessing???

Where are you located Ygator?

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

I think it still could be a dwarf. Those are all over Florida and never get over 10 feet. They don't stand as well as the talls and the fruit is way better. My favorite.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Interesting.
I'm curious to see the fruit.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Southwest Ohio

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Hope this helps.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

As an orinoco collector it probably slightly helps. Many types but all pretty much same flowers. Safe bet tall or dwarf it's an orinoco. Having several types I find them so versatile. My talls I use for tostones and my dwarf I eat like a regular banana or make chips,

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

How can we narrow it down to which one?

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

I don't know but I would guess if you measure the p-stem? and how wide is it at the base.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

I'm 100% it's a tall Orinoco.

The pedicule is too long and droopy.
The pedicule is not wide and stout like dwarf.
The leaves are too long and narrow. Dwarf leaves are wide and thick.
The girth of the pstem is too narrow for dwarf.

I should have pictures of dwarf Orinoco in my profile. If not PM me with your email and I can send examples!!

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

First Hand

Second Hand

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

don't know if would want to eat a second hand banana. :ha:

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

I see two more hands today with 6 fingers each. So I am at a total of four hands now.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

Another hand today. That makes 5. However, hand 3 lost 3 fingers.

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

It looks like i saw some male flowers on hand 2. So the ones dropping may by the males flowers. They will drop on Orinoco. I would have thought more than 1 hand but maybe it will be a big hand!! It's still WAY better than no hands!!

Hold your head high! Not many people fruit a tall Orinoco in Ohio!! Truly amazing job!! Its 100x harder to get 1 hand there vs 10 hands in FL, etc. congrats!!

Re: Please help and identify this banana
 

How do you tell the difference on the flowers? I am not sure how many hands I have now, but the fingers end up falling off. Only the first two hands have retained the fingers.

I also have bumble bees around the flowers on the fingers. I take it that is okay though.

Thanks. I usually keep them in pots, but the last several years I have planted the biggest one in the ground and dug it up in the fall. I then replant it in the ground again. I can't remember if this is the 2nd or 3rd year for this one. This time I have given it a bucket or two of water on most days. The only fertilizer I gave it is Osmocote for flower and vegetables.

I hope to get a banana to eat. These are okay to eat raw off the plant aren't they?