It's alive...now what is it?

pmurphy · 08-04-2013, 09:34 PM

Last April (2012) I was given a very, very sick banana with the name "red" attached to it. However it was so sickly that all the color was gone, just pale green and yellow. Well it continued to deteriorate no matter what I did; it was infested with ants and aphids, the leaves turned brown and crispy but I continued to hang on to the plant, cutting back and repotting until earlier this month I was all but ready to admit defeat. But there was one last reprieve because I was too busy to dispose of what was left so the pot continued to sit on the deck.
But lo and behold there was still a spark and look what I found a couple of days ago.....

Now the big question is what exactly is it? I am suspecting red abyssinian ensete ventricosum but the leaves look different from the one I already have. Or is it just that it is so young and only 4" tall?

banana13 · 08-06-2013, 09:48 AM

I think ensete maurelli.

pmurphy · 08-06-2013, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banana13

I think ensete maurelli.

You are probably right....guess I will just have to wait until it gets bigger
Thanks

LilRaverBoi · 08-08-2013, 10:46 PM

Ensete ventricosum 'maurelii.' Nearly positive.

And the growth point must have gotten seriously messed up/damaged cause they normally do NOT pup (no Ensete does). So you're kinda lucky to have multiple plants rather than a single one.

pmurphy · 08-09-2013, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Ensete ventricosum 'maurelii.' Nearly positive.

And the growth point must have gotten seriously messed up/damaged cause they normally do NOT pup (no Ensete does). So you're kinda lucky to have multiple plants rather than a single one.

This is what I am thinking its just that the leaves somehow look different....I guess I will just have to wait and see as it - or I should say they - get bigger. FYI, I took another close look last night and it appears there are a total of 4 pups now; 2 are only about 1-1/2" tall.

mm4birds · 08-09-2013, 09:32 AM

could it be a cannas?

LIBananaGuy · 08-09-2013, 08:08 PM

Looks more like a canna .

pmurphy · 08-10-2013, 09:03 AM

No, the parent was definitely a banana and if I recall (it was a year and a half ago) about 3ft tall with a touch of red at the base of the p stem.
It just slowly deteriorated; starting with the leaves (which had more yellow than green) turning brown and dry at the edges. This "dryness" started at the edge of the leaves and worked inward until the entire leaf was gone. It also had an ant colony in the pot....when I repotted I think there were more eggs than soil. Once I finally got rid of the ants (and the aphids they were farming) the plant seemed to just slowly faded away, losing one leave after another - it had about 8 to start with - until all I had was a stump. And even the stump slowly deteriorated until all that was left is what you see - several times I had thought of just making a clean cut to see if it would regrow but just never got a round to it. But then the stump still had a bit of color so I thought there was still hope for it, and I have been just too busy to get rid of it.......good thing

08-04-2013, 09:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
pmurphy always pushing the limits Location: Vancouver, BC Canada Find me on the map! Zone: 8B Name: Pam Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 344 BananaBucks : 66,391 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 168 Times Was Thanked 512 Times in 214 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,312 Times	It's alive...now what is it? Last April (2012) I was given a very, very sick banana with the name "red" attached to it. However it was so sickly that all the color was gone, just pale green and yellow. Well it continued to deteriorate no matter what I did; it was infested with ants and aphids, the leaves turned brown and crispy but I continued to hang on to the plant, cutting back and repotting until earlier this month I was all but ready to admit defeat. But there was one last reprieve because I was too busy to dispose of what was left so the pot continued to sit on the deck. But lo and behold there was still a spark and look what I found a couple of days ago..... Now the big question is what exactly is it? I am suspecting red abyssinian ensete ventricosum but the leaves look different from the one I already have. Or is it just that it is so young and only 4" tall?

08-06-2013, 09:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
banana13 __ Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 114 BananaBucks : 54,924 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 116 Times Was Thanked 46 Times in 32 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: It's alive...now what is it? I think ensete maurelli.

08-08-2013, 10:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 146,946 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: It's alive...now what is it? Ensete ventricosum 'maurelii.' Nearly positive. And the growth point must have gotten seriously messed up/damaged cause they normally do NOT pup (no Ensete does). So you're kinda lucky to have multiple plants rather than a single one. __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

08-09-2013, 09:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
mm4birds mm4birds's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 260 BananaBucks : 52,760 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 32 Times Was Thanked 138 Times in 75 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: It's alive...now what is it? could it be a cannas?

08-09-2013, 08:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
LIBananaGuy Location: Long Island NY Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 12 BananaBucks : 1,839 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: It's alive...now what is it? Looks more like a canna . __________________ LI Banana Guy

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08-10-2013, 09:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
pmurphy always pushing the limits Location: Vancouver, BC Canada Find me on the map! Zone: 8B Name: Pam Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 344 BananaBucks : 66,391 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 168 Times Was Thanked 512 Times in 214 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,312 Times	Re: It's alive...now what is it? No, the parent was definitely a banana and if I recall (it was a year and a half ago) about 3ft tall with a touch of red at the base of the p stem. It just slowly deteriorated; starting with the leaves (which had more yellow than green) turning brown and dry at the edges. This "dryness" started at the edge of the leaves and worked inward until the entire leaf was gone. It also had an ant colony in the pot....when I repotted I think there were more eggs than soil. Once I finally got rid of the ants (and the aphids they were farming) the plant seemed to just slowly faded away, losing one leave after another - it had about 8 to start with - until all I had was a stump. And even the stump slowly deteriorated until all that was left is what you see - several times I had thought of just making a clean cut to see if it would regrow but just never got a round to it. But then the stump still had a bit of color so I thought there was still hope for it, and I have been just too busy to get rid of it.......good thing

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