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bigdog · 09-09-2008, 07:01 PM

Nice topic! As Kyle mentioned, there are some bananas that have a natural dry dormant stage in their habitat. This includes Ensete gilletii, E. homblei, and probably a couple of other Ensete species as well. Also, Musa velutina has a natural dormant period during the dry season. This is one of the reasons why it can flower and fruit so quickly from the ground.

The only banana that I can think of that has a natural cold dormant period would be Musa yunnanensis. Young plants will sit dormant under the forest canopy, tolerating frosts even, until the canopy opens up and they start to really take off. Musa itinerans has adapted to the cold, in that it will flower in the spring and ripen a bunch of fruit quickly in its native habitat.

09-09-2008, 07:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,004 BananaBucks : 968,683 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 218 Times Was Thanked 1,790 Times in 504 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: Do bananas have to have a dormant stage? Nice topic! As Kyle mentioned, there are some bananas that have a natural dry dormant stage in their habitat. This includes Ensete gilletii, E. homblei, and probably a couple of other Ensete species as well. Also, Musa velutina has a natural dormant period during the dry season. This is one of the reasons why it can flower and fruit so quickly from the ground. The only banana that I can think of that has a natural cold dormant period would be Musa yunnanensis. Young plants will sit dormant under the forest canopy, tolerating frosts even, until the canopy opens up and they start to really take off. Musa itinerans has adapted to the cold, in that it will flower in the spring and ripen a bunch of fruit quickly in its native habitat.