cherokee_greg

Wow I found this place that says they sale California Gold banana plants ! Here is the link
Banana Trees Banana Plants

Not a bad price if there the real thing.

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Jananas Bananas

Greg they have changed the wording in their advertisement. Two years ago they advertised a Dwarf Orinoco also known as Texas Star and California Gold. I think they are just trying to sell bananas. I have the original advertisement that I copied and posted here on the org somewhere. I will try and find it for you!

~JaNan

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Jananas Bananas

sunfish

Jananas Bananas

Here it is:

Dwarf Orinoco banana plant banana tree ....The ‘Dwarf Orinoco' is a small vigorous plant that has a beautiful solid green has a thick stem and is very cold hardy. Often called the 'Texas Star' and the "California Gold" - a real cold hardy fruit producer. Exceptionally frost hardy compared to other bananas, produces good fruit, year after year, without any frost protection. This is the most popular landscaping plant in Florida for around pools and garden jungles. Wide, big green leaves make this a real winner. It is a heavy bearer of thick skinned fruit of very good eating quality. A very good and delicious banana. Sweet with a bit of a strawberry taste. There is very little curvature to the fruit and the fruit can ripen on the plant without splitting. The plant is hardy and withstands cold temperatures and wind, Hardiness: Zone 7-11, Height: 8', Healthy approx. 12" high plant with soil.
B83 16.95 10.95

The $10.95 is in red and their current sale price. (this was the price then)

I copied this directly from Greenearth Inc in August 2009. I did not post their name at the time but a more experienced member here named it and told me it gave it more credibility to show I wasn't making it up. So with that being said......... I think they are just saying it to sell their bananas! ~J

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Jananas Bananas

cherokee_greg

Here is there add
California Gold - Banana Plant banana tree "California Gold" - a real cold hardy fruit producer. Exceptionally frost hardy compared to other bananas, produces good fruit, year after year, without any frost protection. Only a few banana plants might equal the cold hardiness of California Gold, such as the inedible Japanese fiber banana Musa basjoo. The California Gold banana shakes off the cold. It may lose its' leaves after a hard freeze, but then continues to grow when the weather warms in the spring. The leaves lost during the winter don't seem to slow this plant down. California Gold have produced tasty bananas outdoors during the summer after enduring winter low temp in the low 20?s! These plants should be able grow fine in USDA zone 7 and above as an outdoor plant. The mature plant is small only 5-6 ft tall. Some of plants have produced fruit in as early as 11 months from a pup. Delicious fruits rival any store bought fruit in quality and flavor. approx. 8" to 12" plant ships.


CG1 21.95 12.95

I have three from Jeff Earl. There doing great. I would not order from here I just could not beleve someone would have these for so cheap

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Bermy nana

I do not have much knowledge of these or the history of the controversy but I bought one from them a few weeks ago and had it sent to my sister. I live in Bermuda and cannot import the plants so I thought I would treat my sister who lives in Florida to a banana plant to decorate her back yard. I got her a Dwarf Cavendish too. She says they arrived healthy with the roots wrapped in a soil filled bag. They are doing fine now and she has put them in pots until they grow big enough to grow in the ground.
I chose this plant for her since it says it is a shorter plant. Are California Gold rare or is it just another name for a Dwarf Orinoco? I have a regular Orinoco any difference besides the height of the plant?

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cherokee_greg

Here is a article about the California Gold plant
Here's from that link:
"A bit about the California Gold Banana
The California Gold Banana is believed to be related to Orinoco.
I grow both Dwarf Orinoco and California Gold. The California Gold get's a bit taller (6-7ft) than Dwarf Orinoco(5-6ft) and yields more hands of fruit. Cold hardiness seems to be the
same. California Gold is a bit Tastier."

CALIFORNIA GOLD

DESCRIPTION:
There is one fruiting banana that bears fruit consistently year after year. It was grown and identified by Jeff Earl in Modesto. It can survive 20 F temperature and still bears delicious fruit the summer that follows. Jeff calls this California Gold Banana. I suspect that it is a cold-hardy mutation of dwarf orinoco cultivar growing prolificly in the high altitude and low temperature areas around Mexico and Texas. Here's a quote from one of the lucky winners of eBay when Jeff auctioned his pup: "Rare Dwarf banana plant that is proven to be the cold hardiest of all edible fruit-producing bananas in Northern California. An excellent cold hardy sport of dwarf orinoco, distantly related to Bluggoe. For more than 10 years, this banana has consistently produced an average of 25 lbs of good tasting yellow fruit in Northern California, thus nicknamed "California Gold" - a real cold hardy fruit producer. Exceptionally frost hardy compared to other bananas, produces good fruit, year after year, without any frost protection. Only a few banana plants might equal the cold hardiness of California Gold, such as the inedible Japanese fiber banana Musa basjoo. Cavendish type banana plants such as Super Dwarf, Williams and Double Mahoi, and most of the other edible banana plants will freeze to the ground and die during the cold winter spells when left outside without any winter protection. The California Gold banana shakes off the cold. It may lose its' leaves after a hard freeze, but then continues to grow when the weather warms in the spring. The leaves lost during the winter don?t seem to slow this plant down. California Gold have produced tasty bananas outdoors during the summer after enduring winter low temp in the low 20?s! These plants should be able grow fine in USDA zone 7 and above as an outdoor plant. They have been fruited as far north as Washington State and British Columbia with only minor winter protection. The mature plant is small only 5-6 ft tall. Some of plants have produced fruit in as early as 11 months from a pup. This exotic looking plant makes a stunning tropical impression in any garden as well as a lovely indoor potted plant. Delicious fruits rival any store bought fruit in quality and flavor, with just a hint of lemon and strawberry. " I'm dying to get hold of this very rare banana that has just been shared by Jeff Earl after more than 20 years of testing in Modesto. (906) [L]et me clarify a few things. #1 ... Is the banana that I call California gold one in the same as Dwarf Orinoco? ... Answer, I honestly don't know. My guess is that they are in the same family... as is Ice Cream, Blue Java , Blugo etc. It was labeled "Hardy Mexican Apple banana" But the guy I bought it from said that he gave it the name. The fruit looks like its' in the Orinoco family. It has fruited at 4 ft tall and as high as 7 ft. I bought the parent banana before anyone ever mentioned Dwarf Orinoco or even regular Orinoco. Bananas are one plant that mutate very easily. So I gave it the name. It does differ a little from dwarf orinocos in that they are generally all 6 ft tall when fruiting size. To me Cal Gold fruit is a little more rounded. As far as frost hardiness... They seem simular. Though Cagold is generally the first to start growing in the spring... about the same time as Musa Basjoo. While I have thought about tissue culturing this banana,I haven't looked into it yet. I'm still not sure that it is any cold hardier than Orinoco. Our temps haven't been cold enough to compare the two side by side. As for CalGold's hardiness, about all that I can say is that in my garden, it seems about right on par with musa Basjoo and Orinoco. Both tend to freeze right at the same temps as well as recover at the same time in the spring after a freeze. As I said before, CaGold Looks like its' in the same family as Orinoco, Blugoe, and Blue Java. As It has been stated before.... Bananas mutate readily, but I doubt that is much more frost hardier unless frost hardiness characteristic mutates within a cultivar as well. Those of you in the cooler zones will have to try it and let me know. I most likely will be back on Ebay selling pups next spring. As always the min. bid will be a reasonable $19 per 2 ft pup. I rarely have enough pups from the 3 plants that I grow to supply the demand. This tends to send the bidding up to silly levels at times. (914) California Gold - I think is a sport or a favorable mutation of Dwarf Orinoco. This was recognized by Jeff Earl, but still we don't have genetic proof that it is a sport. The main difference is that the California Gold consistently fruits every year in the Central Valley unlike the regular Dwarf Orinoco which require proper timing for successful fruiting. California Gold has been shown by Jeff to bloom and fruit even after the record breaking cold spell in the Central Valley when the night time temperature reaches 10 to 12 deg F and most pipes broke about a decade ago. Most other growers scoff at Jeff Earl: that [what] he is selling is still Dwarf Orinoco because the fruit and taste are really no different. Especially if you are growing this plant in Zone 10 and above, then there is really no added benefit. But because of the consistency of fruit production, this I think is something to consider for us here in the north. I bought California Gold at an eBay auction and it was really pricey, the price for a small pup ranged between $35-$115. Nevertheless, I also have the original Dwarf Orinoco and is now comparing it side by side with California Gold. (???) Here's my research on California Gold: Rare Dwarf banana plant that is proven to be the cold hardiest of all edible fruit-producing bananas in Northern California. An excellent cold hardy sport of dwarf orinoco, distantly related to Bluggoe. For more than 10 years, this banana has consistently produced an average of 25 lbs of good tasting yellow fruit in Northern California, thus nicknamed "California Gold - a real cold hardy fruit producer". I don`t think there is any thing special or rare about this banana plant. I don`t think its' a mutation of Dwarf Orinoco. I think it IS Dwarf Orinoco. It is NOT a dessert type supermarket banana. It has to be VERY ripe if you want just peel it and eat it. It`s a great banana for cool areas. If you can`t get one from Jeff, you might try getting one from Going Bananas. (913) Jeff Earl also has a dwarf orinoco but is not as cold hardy as his California Gold. If you know about CRFG, some folks there confirmed that there is a big cold hardiness difference between dwarf orinoco and "California Gold" I also have dwarf orinoco which got wiped out during the record breaking cold spell sometime in the early 90's, but Jeff's banana shook off that record breaking cold spell in the valley. (906)

TYPE:
GENETICS:
HEIGHT: 5-6' (906), 6' (914)
HIGHLIGHTS: Cold-hardiness.

Probably it is a type ABB

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Bermy nana

Many thanks for the article. My sister is in zone 9b so she should no problem growing fruit either way.

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chong

What you got from Jeff is the real deal. As mentioned by JaNan and in the thread linked by Tony, above, what they are selling are neither the CA Gold nor the TX Star. They are TC'd Dwarf Orinoco that are now repackaged as "CA Gold" and "TX Star". Notice they no longer advertise the D. Orinoco that had the same picture that was the thumbnail from Agri-Starts.

As I told Tony (Sunfish), I'm sometimes tempted to buy them just in the hopes that they are the real deal. So far, I've refrained. I'm saving up for greater quests.

Great to hear from you! Hope you're doing and feeling great.

Chong

cherokee_greg

Thanks Chong its good to be back. Im feeling allot better. I beleve that all you guys and the banana growing and all the plants saved my life it gave me the will not to give up. I have a reason to be here.
The California gold I have I got from Jeff was two one has a pup. The mother plant is about 6 foot. Maybe have bananas soon. Thats my hope.I can see the diffreance from it and the dwarf orinoco.
Thanks

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

chong

James,
The most planted banana variety in Florida is the Dwarf Orinoco, which is what you sent to your sister, advertised and packaged as "CA Gold". When I was assigned by FEMA to Palm Beach County during the hurrricanes of 2004, I saw many DO in bloom/fruit from Homestead to Orlando. Your sister will definitely not be disappointed.

chong

That's awesome, Greg! (About you and the CA Gold) I'm sure as soon as it warms up a little, you will be seeing a flag on the mother. Hmmmm. I'm envious. You're practically neighbors with Jeff Earl. Such a deal! You can just drive over and get replacements if need be. I mentioned that I'm saving up for greater quests. I've identified several potential. I've just been assured by one source for a couple of them, and I'm getting close to an agreement with a couple of sources of the other South Pacific beauties.

Keep us posted on your condition. And your CA Gold!

Bermy nana

Good to hear. Thanks for the clarification.

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enigma99a

Too bad there isn't any tc of the real California Gold

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chong

That would be nice.

edzone9

So California Gold Banana is Orionoco ?

Its a Cooking Banana Then ? Not Desert ?

Thanks Ed,

redswe

I took a chance and purchased one from them.
Since I have never seen one I have no idea what I got .
A very slight red band on the leaf edge other than that it looks very similar to My Blue Java the leaf comes out a pale lime green color and darkens up after a few days
Here is a few pics. Any opinions are welcome

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sunfish

You would have to read up on California Gold .

crazy banana

Jeff has sold the REAL CA Gold today via ebay for $88. Just saying....

sunfish

What you have is probably dwarf orinoco, pretty close if not the same as CG