banana13

Hello All. Does anybody know what the genetics of a basjoo plan is? Does it have A/B genes or is i it's own species?

Also, does Basjoo have a waxy covering, a glaucous bloom?

THanks!!!

andy17

Hey banana13,
The basjoo is actually its own species. It's still in the Musa family--Musa basjoo I believe is its scientific name. The A and B genes in other bananas come from two other Musa species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana respecitively. The Basjoo is a wax free plant, but I'm not sure about the bloom. Hope this helps!

__________________
"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." --Francis Bacon

banana13

Wax free, so that settles it. The banana I have is not a basjoo.

Too bad it doesn't have A/B genes, though. It would be easier to cross with a regular edible banana

andy17

I agree! Living in a sub-tropical area with too much cold to grow them outdoors year round, it would be really nice to cross a basjoo with and edible banana. I've heard it might be possible. It looks like the main reason the basjoo is inedible is because of all the tough seeds in the fruit. Maybe with good breeding, you could get the hardiness of a basjoo with the edibility of a regular variety?

You can also post a picture of your plant to help ID it. I've done that several times. I was told that one of my mystery banana varieties was a basjoo because it had wide wings off the leaf stalks, it was bright green in color with no wax, and a rose midrib when leaves are young. Hope this helps!

Here's a pic of my basjoo:
Banana Gallery - Basjoo Leaf, Midrib and Petiole
Banana Gallery - Basjoo after 2 Months Growing in Pot

__________________
"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." --Francis Bacon