Botanical_Bryce

Does anyone know why Florida is covered in Orinoco? Who were the people that brought them here? Was this a Florida crop at one point?

Grannycore

Orinoco is from Venezuela, so I would assume they came with cross-Caribbean trade and migration, and since they are well suited to floridas climate they stick around a lot longer and with less care than more finicky bananas that peter out quickly if forgotten. I would guess that lends them to becoming those "bananas, I don't know what kind, that were here when we moved in...they always come back, and you're welcome to dig some up if you want some at your house." It's definitely how South Georgia (where I'm from) ended up covered in red hummingbird cannas and white crinum lilies.

Botanical_Bryce

Who ate and grew them?

Worm_Farmer

Horse's?

Sorry... So many people call them Horse bananas.

Botanical_Bryce

Cattle food would make sense. Much of the cattle driven west were Florida cracker cattle.

cincinnana

The plant is very prolific..

I got mine mid 1900'S near a strip club during spring break in Daytona Beach Fla..

Pup Farm...this plant is.


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Hostafarian,
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Botanical_Bryce

Just funny to me that a banana that nobody likes is so common. Had to be some sort of population that ate them. I fried some in coconut oil a couple weeks ago. I liked them that way.

cincinnana

29 years ago the plant was also a great landscape plant...

This variety was all they had..... no choice .
It compares to Arborvitae or a taxus as a foundation/accent plant up north.

Pic taken on a bike ride on Huchinson Island @FPL nuke power plant gate d.


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Botanical_Bryce

I moved here 23 years ago. The main banana people had That I knew of was whatever the dwarf banana was that was sold in novelty plant catalogs. We had one but it died. Bad planting I think. I remember people getting bananas if they were planted against the house.

Botanical_Bryce

Would have been nice to have known 1993 what I know now

Kat2

Criminy, I'd like to have known what I know now in 1971.

I've concluded that this is a hardy, cheap landscape variety that was planted much Leyland Cyprus, Arborvitae, Bradford Pears and other sturdy "no nonsense" trees are up North; its popularity can probably be traced to Yankees retiring to FL who wanted a carefree tropical plant but, heaven forbid, didn't want to grow food and seem to be a farmer. Having worked as a landscaper long after watching my mother pay dearly for a "beautiful garden" to hide a busy road (it didn't take long to become an overgrown eyesore) I know that installers do a job and move on after leaving behind what I consider high dollar trash plants. Pachysandra, Myrtle and Ivy are others that belong on my "should be eradicated list". That said, I suspect my 2 "left by the side of the road" musas are Orinocos which is fine with me; I'm new to growing them so am still playing. And who knows? I might really love them. Should I decide to shed them, I promise to dispose of them properly.

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Botanical_Bryce

A major method of propagation I have witnessed is orinoco dumped out then picked up by people who spot them. Thats how I got mine.

Kat2

Dumpster divers have no right to complain. However, contrary to popular belief, one man's trash is not always another man's treasure. I'm enjoying mine and plan to plant them out by my mailbox to signal potential "hand" thieves to "move on by, nothing good here."

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Kegas76

People get a lot of things at strip clubs in here in FL but nobody would have guessed that bananas were one of them.
-looks for the banana on a stripper pole emoji-

siege2050

I like em cause they are tough as heck, can take burning full sun in 100+ temps, cold, solid clay, and will survive in suspended animation under my house in winter for 6 months. I would say they are everywhere there because they are super hardy, plus you can fry em, or eat them ripe, and they are an awesome ornamental, versatile. As to how they got there in the first place, people travel and bring back stuff. How did they get here in my yard, and I have started noticing them elsewhere around here lol, all from somebody that traveled to Texas probably and brought one back.

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Botanical_Bryce

Since they are common to cultures who fry them I assume at this point that they were grown as a plantain in south Florida later becoming ornamental to northerners moving to Florida. I don't know of any person to like them ripe. Most northerners don't know how to cook a banana. The Jamaicans here call them frog banana. So at this point I am going to assume the Orinoco is another south Florida migrant commonly fried in that culture.

geosulcata

I enjoy them ripe out of hand and fried green and ripe. They produce very well. Our dwarf and tall orinocos are a favorite of my friend's two adopted children from Honduras.

Botanical_Bryce

If you mention eating them here peoples faces turn wrong side out. I have to try dwarf orinoco still. I have a banana i am waiting for it to fruit to bring up an id but it looks just like orinoco and has been in this forest for many many years and gets sweet fruit. I am also trying to collect samples from different places. Right now I have 3 not counting the dwarfs.

Botanical_Bryce

A few minutes ago I stopped for another sample. The plants are submerged in a lake and are fruiting like crazy. Both homeowners said they love them and use them as fruit toppings.

hydroid

I would say not just Fl. but all across the South. Ever been to South Louisiana? I've seen some monsters down there too. Here in Alabama they are the most common we see. I always recommend them to people who want to try growing a banana and especially if they don't have a green thumb. Orinoco are just about bullet proof and get by with minimal care. It's a great plant to get a novice into the Banana Realm. Once they see success, get out of their way, ha ha.