buffy

Really. After all this time, we still don't have a source for this banana. I worked my tail off for 4 years with TianZi to get something done. I did receive 4 pathetic looking corms that rotted away within a week. I finally had Dr. Margraf agree to send me larger corms, but then tragically, he died of a massive heart attack. Obviously, losing him was a much bigger tragedy than not having a silly little banana, but I never accomplished much with his wife due to changes in the export process during and after the 2008 Olympics. I still wonder how Minguo and her two daughters are doing, but she doesn't respond to my emails anymore; by choice or because her operation is defunct, I don't know.

I ordered some of Brian's "Mekong Giant", but its obvious those are probably var. itinerans, or related. They are not var. xishuangbannensis. Someone here must have a big enough clump to share by now of a legit var. xishuangbannensis. I'd like to hear about them. If you'd rather just PM me, I totally understand. I just really want to grow this oddity.

RobG7aChattTN

Yeah, I'd like one too. I thought that 'Mekong Giant' was supposed to be the same thing, but we've all gone down that road before.

harveyc

Buffy, you've been trying for quite a while, so I can imagine your frustration. Maybe you should contact Markku to see if he has any suggestions. He's familiar with it. See his excerpt of an article at Story about Dr. Joseph Margraf and family

__________________

RobG7aChattTN

This is part of the confusion:
Musa itinerans Mekong Giant is a hardy perennial banana-Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

buffy

Harvey: I contacted Markku long ago. He's not in position to share the material he donated for non-research purposes. He didn't have any other suggestions.

buffy

Nothing? Really?

bigdog

I've suggested to Brian that his plant is probably var. itinerans, but got no response. If he wants to continue to label it incorrectly and misinform the people who buy his banana, then whatever. It is definitely NOT var. xishuangbannaensis. I'm kind of surprised that Plant Delights would mislabel it also without properly keying it out first.

Buffy, I've been down that road also, but haven't given up yet. I should say that I HAVE given up with Tian Zi, but haven't given up acquiring this monster from another source. It's only a matter of time before we finally can grow it here. When we do finally get it, it will make 'Mekong Giant' look like a midget, LOL. He'll have to rename it.

Markku Hakkinen

Hi,
It is not so easy to find var. xishuangbanna materials unles one is going to Xishuangbanna Yunnan. Secondly they grow in far distances in the nature reserve forests.
Markku.