'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Why is it that plant desciptions never mention the jumbo leaves on the PH? I guess the fruit is the big attraction but the leaves are huge. I'm pretty sure it's a Saba crossed with a sweet banana. It's basically a shorter Saba with crazy looking fruit. Also, PH was hardier than Raja Puri during this 2010's brutal winter for me.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

How 'jumbo' of leaves are we talking? Do you have some pictures and/or measurements?

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

30-40% Bigger than other tall types. And yes, it's PH because the mama fruited last year. Very good...

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Here you go,easy 8'

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Those are huge leaves. Glad they can take some weather too. :^)

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

I have a praying hand right next to my front door, the leaves are huge and its very beautiful.

Love it, right now its almost as tall as my house so its gotten good wind protection....

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Yes, Agree Everyone loves mine just because of its pure size. Ill post a pic tomorrow when its sunny outside.
Honestly the Cool looking bunch and hardiness is why I chose the PH. The leafs just turned out to be a cool Plus.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

most of the descriptions for a lot of these bananas are parroted script from one or two people.

i found it is necessary to experiment for myself.. i have discovered a lot in the short while i have been growing.. look at my gran nain..or at least i hope they are.. i dont remember anyone ever mentioning how big the leaves can get.. the leaves have grown past two feet wide as of last week.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Good observation, 'Praying Hands' is a Saba subgroup member and very similar to 'Saba' (though there are many different varieties that are all called 'Saba' with minor differences between them).

Here is a photo of a common local Hawaii Saba known as 'Dippig'.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Damn, you guys are tempting me to get a Saba or PH now. I'm a sucker for MASSIVE leaves.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Sweet! I have a Praying Hands on the way from jimmmy...also a Thousand Fingers!

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Yep, Big leafs

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Anyone growing PH and Saba that can give a good comparison (leafs, height, stem size)?

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

I should note that, although these plants have big leaves, the reason its probably not mentioned (to address the original question directly) is because its very normal. Bananas are known for having big leaves, and even the photo I showed is not unusual at all. If you ever walk through a germplasm collection in the tropics, and you were asked to describe the varieties, you would see that big leaves quickly becomes something common among countless varieties, sure some are bigger than others, but its not unusual.

The largest leaves I have seen were on a conservatory grown M. itinerans 'Burmese Blue'. They weren't even flowering yet, and there was no way I could measure them directly, but based on the things they were next to I estimate they were about 18ft long and 4-5ft wide. The plant in reference is in the photo below at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It is hard to gauge just how big it is from the photo, but in person it was a very impressive plant and one of the largest Musa I have ever seen up close.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Out of the commonly available types, I've only seen larger leaves on the PH and Saba. None of the other ones I have come close, despite having several types whose overall height is greater.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

This thread almost made me buy Saba and Praying hands (I had my info input at banana-tree.com), but I decided not to since the only location I could plant them is in full sun in a Las Vegas summer. 109F, 10% humidity with sun all day long probably wouldn't be appreciated by a small plant dug up and shipped form a south Florida farm.

I do have a cardaba that is growing rapidly. I think that is related to Saba somehow...

Awesome pics in this thread!! I love the Denver greenhouse!!!

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

Jeff,
Just curious what banana varieties you are growing that have overall height greater than Saba?
Thanks,
Chris

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

None. I was referring to the PH with regard to the height. It has the biggest leaves of all the others I have so far. But it's not the tallest.

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

I got some sabas a couple of years ago from Chris and the leaves look like surfboards by mid summer. Ocaisionally I have folks stop in my front yard and ask me what I'm doing to my Banana plants, he he.:ha:
Bo

Re: 'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves
 

This was my PH harvest back in '08: