I found your site by googling myself. I was bidding on a Calif Gold Banana years ago on ebay and didn't win and a member commented about me bidding against him.
Anyway - I have grown 13 types in San Diego and now live in Beaverton Oregon. I have 11 new types on the way. I see I have lots to read and absorb and look forward to talking with and trading with members here.
Please check out this message thread and the contents are copied below
HOS Forums - View topic - The Beaverton Edible and Nonedible Banana Trials
The Beaverton Edible and Nonedible Banana Trials
Some of the below are randomized thoughts and I apologize in advance for this. I can 'back up' most of this with personal experience. As mentioned in the fig posting - here is my infamous 'Treatise de Cuna' lol So - without further a-doo or holdups - here goes!
Many people will only buy from the local nurseries and believe they can't grow it unless their nursery has it. Not true! Not at all. If we have protected areas and help with mulch etc. we can grow things no-one thought possible. A good example of people settling for less is Musa basjoo - the so-called Japanese Fiber Banana that will grow in all 50 states. I consider them Plain Jane and will not give them space in my garden until I get them as free trade. Only use for them would be wrapping leaves for cooking. They are also kinda weedy without other redeeming qualities compared to other bananas.
Google
I used to belong to CRFG in San Diego and had 13 varieties there with 7 of them in 'commercial production' and my favs were 'Kau Au Lau' (a Royal Hawaiian) and Ice Cream/Blue Java. The latter is one that I will be trying here soon.
CRFG has 'Fruit Facts' that are a great resource for the 'quick and dirty' on how to grow many neat plants including here in the NW. All the info you really need in one or two pages. YES!
Check out these links -
BANANA Fruit Facts
Fruit Facts
I intended to wait until I could upload photos but gonna have links to picassa later instead. Currently in the yard are 3 large clumps of a really nice large banana that has a purple flush under the leaves. It is unknown so far if it is an edible fruiting one or not. This last winter they were frozen down to the ground. But previous spring, they regrew just fine from approx 4 ft of their trunks and I have a photo of them. Also have some nice photos of what they look like right now and there are approx 25. This increased number is mainly due to main stems being frozen down, which causes them to sprout more babes.
Actually paid for these starters and they are in the mail (or being shipped soon). There are some other sources that will be gotten from later but 11 new ones is a good start.
Source was -
eBay Store - Wellspring Gardens: Spices Oils Aromas, Elephant Ears, Tropical Flowers Plants
BAMBOO? This is better - TIGER GRASS PLANT (SP).
200299222522 - Price: US $4.99
PINEAPPLE PLANT Miniature ------------------------ (SP).
200294892938 - Price: US $3.99
PEPPERMINT STICK GRASS - Live Plant (SP).
200292088738 - Price: US $3.99
TEA OLIVE TREE Fragrant Blooming Hard to find --- (SP).
200273883384 - Price: US $3.99
DWARF ORINOCO BANANA TREE / PLANT- Hardy ----(SP).
190308324730 - Price: US $5.99
COMMERCIAL BANANA PLANT WILLIAMS HYBRID - (SP).
190308070717 - Price: US $4.99
DWARF RED BANANA TREE Decorative, Edible, Indoors (SP).
190308070662 - Price: US $5.99
DWARF CAVENDISH BANANA PLANT Indoor/Outdoor Tree - (SP).
190308008997 - Price: US $4.99
BORDELON BANANA TREE / PLANT Gorgeous Cold Hardy - (SP).
190307593142 - Price: US $5.99
Kluay Khai THAI BANANA TREE Plant Glui Kai Unique (SP).
190307574489 - Price: US $5.99
X-TRA TALL BANANA TREE Kandarian AFRICAN GIANT - (SP).
190307574430 - Price: US $5.99
Ice Cream HARDY BANANA PLANT Tasty Fruit Tree - (SP).
190307389054 - Price: US $6.99
DWARF NAMWAH BANANA PLANT Indoor/Outdoor Tree - (SP).
190306073960 - Price: US $6.99
TRULY TINY BANANA TREE / PLANT The tiniest (SP).
190305471107 - Price: US $4.99
LITTLE PRINCE BANANA TREE / PLANT Princely! (SP).
190303192343 - Price: US $5.99
GOUMI FRUIT BUSH ----- High in Lycopene - (SP).
190291943794 - Price: US $4.99
They will be put in 1 gal or smaller and nursed on the patio and most will go into the ground in late summer. The miniatures will probably get a break this year and a piece tried outdoors next year instead.
These will be given a true test! The trunks MAY be cut down and I will use straw to insulate some but other than that - they need to make it outdoors on their own. A well established plant can survive and even thrive 1 or 2 zones out of it's range.
We are in Zone 8B here in Beaverton / Portland area. Not everything that is Zone 8 will really grow here! duh! Our climate here is cooler and damp. A subtropical plant in a more severe climate zone can do better than here because it has a hotter growing period to store up food. However, there is global climate change and we are getting warmer. Things that used to not grow here will be growing here. Indeed, the State of Oregon predicts we will be losing some of our beloved Doug Firs and they will be replaced with other trees.
The Goumi is cool and I used to grow something similar - Elaeagnus philippinensis 'Lingaro'. The mini pineapple is likely to be a good gift maker later and I used to grow lots of Bromeliads.
Anyway - that is the basics of this so far. I have a pro chef friend that does youtube a lot and he plans to film the calving of the purple-flush-hardy-unknown-possibly-edible-bananas for me. I think it could possibly be this one and bought one to compare later - BORDELON BANANA TREE / PLANT Gorgeous Cold Hardy
eBay ... 0307593142
I hope to hear from others that have tried edible bananas and also into trades. Suggestions for good sources besides ebay sellers are sought. I suggest below and you will note that some are members of HOS -
CRFG Member Nurseries and Fruit Sources
My email is part of my signature on all my posts. It is likely I will need to trade away some trees to make room for new accessions. I really want to go overboard with figs, hardy kiwi and other so-called exotics. Let us have some zone denial and zone bending! If the plants could talk to us - most of them would want us to try!
Oh! Did I forget to mention that I am open to trading? Got lots to trade both ornamental and edible.
;-)
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Already got inquiries about best ones to try and here is my response -
You might consider getting some of these direct yourself and try where you are now. Why wait for my babes to make babes!? lol
Even better - you might try something I have not acquired yet. For example -
eBay Store - The Potter's Garden: Ornamental Banana Plants, Running Bamboo, Cycads
The above seller has dwarf jamaican red and another cool red one as well as a black thai that claim to be zone 8.
I have cut the list down to those I think most likely to do well here. Attached is a photo of the clumps I will have for sale and trade soon.
DWARF ORINOCO BANANA TREE / PLANT- Hardy ----(SP).
BORDELON BANANA TREE / PLANT Gorgeous Cold Hardy - (SP).
X-TRA TALL BANANA TREE Kandarian AFRICAN GIANT - (SP).
Ice Cream HARDY BANANA PLANT Tasty Fruit Tree - (SP).
I highly recommend trying the Goumi too. Then there is this -
FEIJOA Fruit Facts
they have them (feijoa) but i am holding out for named cultivars. And Farmington Gardens also has unnamed ones real reasonable price - but hold out for the better ones!
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I am hardiness testing at least 15 Banana cultivars here in Beaverton Oregon and have lots of stuff to trade
rickitikkitavi@gmail.com