Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me!

robguz24 · 08-01-2015, 11:44 AM

Last week after Gabe's banana workshop, he, keikikid, and I went to the home where I saw this banana fruiting last year. Clearly a Fe'i, but not one I had ever seen before. The owner told us to go ahead and remove pups so we did.

Unbeknownst to me, Gabe forwarded a photo I sent him to Angela Kepler, lead author of the Hawaii banana book.

A few days later I got an email from her congratulating me on rediscovering Fe'i 'U'ururu in Hawaii! For those who have her book, it's on p. 254. The only photo from Hawaii she had was from 1917 on Kauai and it was a mystery as to whether it still existed here. She confirmed with an expert in Tahiti. Even more exciting is that we are submitting it as part of Dr. Kepler's project to preserve Hawaiian bananas into international tissue culture at ITC in Belgium!

Going Bananas · 08-01-2015, 12:06 PM

Congrats Rob!

Youre the

bomb

An Anthony Bourdain and a James Darwin too!

Rmplmnz · 08-01-2015, 06:01 PM

Awesome!!

According to my wife I traveled to Tahiti and Moorea "just to see Fehi" (even though I saw them in 1996 & 1998 at Waimea Falls on Oahu).

crazy banana · 08-01-2015, 11:45 PM

That is pretty cool. Congratulations.
I love the Keppler and Rust book "World of bananas in Hawaii" you have mentioned and I can highly recommend it to any banana plant enthusiast.

luisport · 08-02-2015, 03:14 AM

Congratulations!

JP · 08-02-2015, 03:42 AM

Congrats.

raygrogan · 08-02-2015, 06:41 AM

Wow, great original observation, memory, follow-up, etc. As Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” Looking forward to good pix when yall grow it up.

PR-Giants · 08-02-2015, 07:06 AM

Good eyes Rob, Congratulations!

This problem is happening all over the world and is especially serious in SE Asia. I read an article a few years ago that stated since the rise in popularity of the Cavendish and other introduced cultivars many local cultivars are feared to have or will become extinct. There is a massive effort to locate as many as possible and to preserve them in tissue culture at ITC in Belgium.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robguz24

Last week after Gabe's banana workshop, he, keikikid, and I went to the home where I saw this banana fruiting last year. Clearly a Fe'i, but not one I had ever seen before. The owner told us to go ahead and remove pups so we did.

Unbeknownst to me, Gabe forwarded a photo I sent him to Angela Kepler, lead author of the Hawaii banana book.

A few days later I got an email from her congratulating me on rediscovering Fe'i 'U'ururu in Hawaii! For those who have her book, it's on p. 254. The only photo from Hawaii she had was from 1917 on Kauai and it was a mystery as to whether it still existed here. She confirmed with an expert in Tahiti. Even more exciting is that we are submitting it as part of Dr. Kepler's project to preserve Hawaiian bananas into international tissue culture at ITC in Belgium!

Hamakua · 08-02-2015, 09:36 AM

Congrats Rob!
My only problem with the ITC is that it's like a prison. Seems like they don't make plants available to the public

robguz24 · 08-02-2015, 01:11 PM

The funny part is that this wasn't some adventurous trek into some remote gulch or anything. I pulled into a spot in a parking lot one day for work. And there it was on the other side of the lot. It's about 30 feet from the highway, the only road that circles the island.

lukem5 · 10-30-2015, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robguz24

The funny part is that this wasn't some adventurous trek into some remote gulch or anything. I pulled into a spot in a parking lot one day for work. And there it was on the other side of the lot. It's about 30 feet from the highway, the only road that circles the island.

Grats on the re-discovery!

How is this fe'i different from other fe'i? I can see the bunch looks quite a bit bigger than any fe'i i've seen...

I'm about to do some remote gulch expeditions on Oahu looking for bananas, there's gotta be something here.

robguz24 · 10-30-2015, 12:58 PM

That sounds exciting! I recall a post on here by Gabe showing Fe'i on Oahu. It's biggest difference is the size and shape of the fruit I guess. It's covered in the Kepler & Rust book. The pup I removed is growing so far and the ones my friend has also survive. Getting it to fruit will be a challenge. I've never gotten a Fe'i to fruit in years of trying.

from the sea · 10-31-2015, 05:21 AM

That's Awesome!, what makes them hard to fruit?

robguz24 · 10-31-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by from the sea

That's Awesome!, what makes them hard to fruit?

Ha, well I wish I knew! I'm guessing it isn't quite wet enough where I am and that fe'i tend to be more mountain bananas and I'm nearly at sea level. They grow more slowly than others, get 5 feet tall or so and often just stop growing or develop rot. I don't know if it's lack of nutrients or what exactly. A friend down the road who actually has soil and is also near sea level has been able to get big bunches. Another friend in an area with deep soil and over 200" of rain also has yet to get them to fruit. Hawaii is not quite as hot and humid as other tropical areas where fe'i seem to be more common.

Juicy Bananas · 11-01-2015, 03:44 AM

Aloha, what an incredible find! I am inspired to trump in the bushes & find wild plants along the Hilo coast.
We have a Fe'hi growing amongst the rest of the patch. Recently I was on the hunt to see if anyone had different varieties so I may further perpetuate the species... and voila. A beauty. It brings me hope knowing there are more out there.

Again, awesome job.

lukem5 · 11-01-2015, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juicy Bananas

Aloha, what an incredible find! I am inspired to trump in the bushes & find wild plants along the Hilo coast.
We have a Fe'hi growing amongst the rest of the patch. Recently I was on the hunt to see if anyone had different varieties so I may further perpetuate the species... and voila. A beauty. It brings me hope knowing there are more out there.

Again, awesome job.

Awesome, if your inspiration turns to action let me know how your coastal expedition goes! Here's two threads by Gabe about finding wild fe'i in hawaii! These are nearby relatively well known/traveled trails, where i'm going is far off the beaten path so hopefully i'll hit the motherload.
Musa 'Aiuri', fe'i banana
fe'i bananas in Manoa Valley

Juicy Bananas · 11-01-2015, 04:50 AM

That is awesome. I am going to give those links a read & see what I can find. My wife & I want to spend a day at the library and see if we can find information on any ancient gardens around Hilo or even further on the coast.

robguz24 · 11-01-2015, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juicy Bananas

That is awesome. I am going to give those links a read & see what I can find. My wife & I want to spend a day at the library and see if we can find information on any ancient gardens around Hilo or even further on the coast.

So much of that coast was sugar for so long. I would think the best bet would be within any gulches or along streams where there wasn't sugar cultivated for 100+ years. Or deep into the valleys beyond and between Pololu and Waipio. I know some guys have been in the North Kohala area looking for them. I have a couple Iholena types that were found there and given to Greenwell Garden. My friend thinks you will find bananas, but likely planted by sugar workers and their descendants and still actively harvested.

Please share your findings on here.

Hammocked Banana · 11-01-2015, 04:57 PM

Congrats Rob! Amazing story!

robguz24 · 04-26-2016, 10:07 PM

Well the postscript to this is that I talked to the grower, who is from Pohnpei in Micronesia and got it from his sister, who presumably brought it from there. If that's true I'd guess Karat Kole based on the pic in the Pohnpei banana PDF that's out there. So until it's clear where the sister got it from (the grower is hard to contact) there is no way to know for sure. If she actually got it locally and he just called it "Karat" because it's a fe'i, it's still possible it's a locally acquired 'U'ururu. He didn't specify the subtype of Karat, and I didn't have the PDF handy when I last spoke to him.

Anyway, a more recent, better picture from last month.

08-01-2015, 11:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
robguz24 Rob Location: Kalapana, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 11 Name: Rob Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,506 BananaBucks : 285,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times Was Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! Last week after Gabe's banana workshop, he, keikikid, and I went to the home where I saw this banana fruiting last year. Clearly a Fe'i, but not one I had ever seen before. The owner told us to go ahead and remove pups so we did. Unbeknownst to me, Gabe forwarded a photo I sent him to Angela Kepler, lead author of the Hawaii banana book. A few days later I got an email from her congratulating me on rediscovering Fe'i 'U'ururu in Hawaii! For those who have her book, it's on p. 254. The only photo from Hawaii she had was from 1917 on Kauai and it was a mystery as to whether it still existed here. She confirmed with an expert in Tahiti. Even more exciting is that we are submitting it as part of Dr. Kepler's project to preserve Hawaiian bananas into international tissue culture at ITC in Belgium! __________________ My micro-farm Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

08-01-2015, 12:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
Going Bananas GoinBananas Location: Frwy 210&57 SoCal Zone: 10 Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 290 BananaBucks : 19,132 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 227 Times Was Thanked 264 Times in 155 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! Congrats Rob! Youre the bomb An Anthony Bourdain and a James Darwin too!

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08-02-2015, 09:36 AM	#9 (permalink)
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08-02-2015, 01:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
robguz24 Rob Location: Kalapana, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 11 Name: Rob Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,506 BananaBucks : 285,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times Was Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! The funny part is that this wasn't some adventurous trek into some remote gulch or anything. I pulled into a spot in a parking lot one day for work. And there it was on the other side of the lot. It's about 30 feet from the highway, the only road that circles the island. __________________ My micro-farm Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

10-30-2015, 12:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
robguz24 Rob Location: Kalapana, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 11 Name: Rob Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,506 BananaBucks : 285,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times Was Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! That sounds exciting! I recall a post on here by Gabe showing Fe'i on Oahu. It's biggest difference is the size and shape of the fruit I guess. It's covered in the Kepler & Rust book. The pup I removed is growing so far and the ones my friend has also survive. Getting it to fruit will be a challenge. I've never gotten a Fe'i to fruit in years of trying. __________________ My micro-farm Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

10-31-2015, 05:21 AM	#13 (permalink)
from the sea Location: Big Pine Key fl Find me on the map! Zone: 11 sunset 25 Name: Stephen Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 244 BananaBucks : 10,687 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 63 Times Was Thanked 332 Times in 157 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 172 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! That's Awesome!, what makes them hard to fruit?

11-01-2015, 03:44 AM	#15 (permalink)
Juicy Bananas Location: Big Island Zone: 10 Name: Alva Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 170 BananaBucks : 10,083 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 259 Times in 121 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! Aloha, what an incredible find! I am inspired to trump in the bushes & find wild plants along the Hilo coast. We have a Fe'hi growing amongst the rest of the patch. Recently I was on the hunt to see if anyone had different varieties so I may further perpetuate the species... and voila. A beauty. It brings me hope knowing there are more out there. Again, awesome job.

11-01-2015, 04:50 AM	#17 (permalink)
Juicy Bananas Location: Big Island Zone: 10 Name: Alva Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 170 BananaBucks : 10,083 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 259 Times in 121 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! That is awesome. I am going to give those links a read & see what I can find. My wife & I want to spend a day at the library and see if we can find information on any ancient gardens around Hilo or even further on the coast.

11-01-2015, 04:57 PM	#19 (permalink)
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04-26-2016, 10:07 PM	#20 (permalink)
robguz24 Rob Location: Kalapana, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 11 Name: Rob Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,506 BananaBucks : 285,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times Was Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Rare Fe'i rediscovered in Hawaii-by me! Well the postscript to this is that I talked to the grower, who is from Pohnpei in Micronesia and got it from his sister, who presumably brought it from there. If that's true I'd guess Karat Kole based on the pic in the Pohnpei banana PDF that's out there. So until it's clear where the sister got it from (the grower is hard to contact) there is no way to know for sure. If she actually got it locally and he just called it "Karat" because it's a fe'i, it's still possible it's a locally acquired 'U'ururu. He didn't specify the subtype of Karat, and I didn't have the PDF handy when I last spoke to him. Anyway, a more recent, better picture from last month. __________________ My micro-farm Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

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