Upham giant Basjoo
 

Just been reading this about a new giant strain of Basjoo. Have any of you heard any thing about it your side of the water ?
new variety of Musa basjoo....
Posted: 16 Feb 2008 4:07pm

16 Feb 2008

Ok it isn't a palm but then I think many of us grow banana species of some form or another!

I noticed in the summer 2007 issue of the Southeastern Palms journal (USA) an intersting article on a new form of Musa basjoo called 'Upham Giant' TM ... a trade marked form being micro propagated in the USA. It came as an unamed potted banana plant in 2000 which was acquired and planted at the Miami university garden at Upham Palm Court. It looked like Musa basjoo but as it grew people began to notice that it was growing differently to 'regular' basjoo!

The reports write that by 2005 established clumps were topping 21ft in height in a single season despite going through a sub zero winter beforehand! The plant was also making longer and wider leaves and a taller pseudostem! It was also noticed that in winter more of the stem survived above ground despite cold weather. In summer 2005 a stem flowered which enabled it to be identified as a clone of Musa basjoo.

The university have trade marked the plant and it is being produced commercially now for hopeful release in 2008. Could be a vigourous and more cold resistant form that will further extend the regions able to grow this great plant and worth keeping an eye out for!

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Dr. David Franko, "Palms won't Grow Here", in the fall of 2006. He spoke of this strain and said they were in the process of development and hoped to have it out sometime in the future. Dr. Franko has moved to the University in Alabama, so I am not sure who is still working on this project. I do not see him being able to take this strain with him since the University of Miami (Ohio) trade marked it. I would like to hear more about its progress though. I will be following this thread to see if anyone else has more info on it....

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

that would be so awesome for people living in the colder climates. not having to worry if its gonna make it or not, it would be worth its weight in gold!is it gonna be released in large quanities, do you know? would love to have a couple 8 of them. lol

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

That would be great for me. Lower power bill.

I wonder if the plant has a much thicker Pstem than other plants. That would help make the Pstem hardier.

Allen

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

We would like to know more as well.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Wow, that is very interesting for us in the north :D

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Here is a link to the site from Miami University that has info as to their research. Like I stated earlier, Dr. Francko has left there and is now employed by University of Alabama. I have emailed him to see if we can't get more info on this banana.

Plants

I just heard from Dr. Francko, and he is checking with his contacts at Miami University to see where they stand on the release and/or research on the 'Upham Giant'. I will report back to this thread as I learn more from him...

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Very interesting. Sounds like it could further populate banana plants for people in cold parts of the US. I'm not that far from Miami University :).

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Thats interesting. My basjoo mat is 5 years old and reaches only 7 to 8 feet of pseudostem and leaves to about 15 feet, even if I had 3 to 4 feet of pseudostem survive through the winter.

Zac

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

randy please keep us posted on this. it is very interesting. and hopefully we can populate tn. with nana trees. lol.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Wow,

I'd love to have one of those to add to my northern tropical garden. With the short growing season up here I wonder how big one of these might get.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Wow I woud like to have just one.:jumpingonbednaner:

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

I was wondering how they replicated zone 6 climate, but reading on, I see this Miami University isnt in Miami. LOL :)

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

The interesting information. It would be desirable to look photos of a plant in weigh its growth and flowering.:2738:

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Randy did you ever hear back from Dr. Francko? I live pretty close to Miami university and would love to get my hands on one of thease.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

I'd love to hear more. Basjoo is one of the most amazing banana's for us colder climate growers.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

I have yet to hear back from Dr. Francko, but I will try and touch base with him soon. As soon as I do, I will pass the info on.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Ok I did a little poking around and sent a few emails and I have a small lead!! Hopefully Ill be able to figure out the status of this banana and if any are available.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Looking foreward to it already :)

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Well I haven't heard back about the status of its propagation. It was supposed to be but I'm a little unsure if its actually happening.

However I have heard back from someone that told me its still there at MU and I'm going to see if I can't just get a pup off the mat.

I haven't really decided yet if I think its just regular basjoo or not. Either way hopefully Ill be able to get one and decide myself.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Ok a little more info. There where plans to propagate it but between Dr. Francko moving to another university and another professor retiring plus basjoo's becoming so commonly available cheap and no school funding they just couldn't carry on with it.

I am still trying to get one though.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

yet another case where a .org based TC propagation unit would get a variety out into wider circulation.
Is that big one in the original pic still there? any pups on it?
Now where's my digging spade, and my plane ticket to Ohio. :2744:

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Well sorry to have gotten anyone hopes up on a potentially larger and hardier basjoo but It doesn't look like I will be able to get one right now. They aren't doing anything with it and I don't think they ever plan to.

All well, It was probably just a somewhat old basjoo anyway (since 2000).

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

any chance of cross breeding the cold tolerant basjoo with an edible banana to make it possible to grow fruit in colder regions of the country with our shorter outdoor growing season? :islandsharkbanana:

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

That's what I'm saying.:dancinpup:

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Well, it looks like we won't be able to try the Upham Giant Basjoo. Here's what Dr. Francko said about it today...

"As for the basjoo, I don’t have as good news. Despite my best efforts for a full year after leaving Miami University in August 2006, Miami has completely dropped the ball on getting that banana produced and out the door. They hold the trademark and there is little I can do."

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

I had a similar reply from Dr. Francko:

"Howard, thanks for the email, and I wish I had good news for you. Unfortunately, my former employer, Miami University, has completely dropped the ball on the development of intellectual property I worked on while there, including the palm protectors and the release of ‘Upham Giant’ I spent a great deal of time during the first year and a half after we moved to Alabama trying as hard as I could to keep things going, but to no avail. A real shame – they hold the patent to the palm protectors and the trademark on ‘Upham Giant’, but cannot get around to doing anything with them. I guess that kind of attitude is why I left."

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

There still is a little bit of hope that I can get an upham. I know someone who goes to miami uni and I think they may be able to get me one. Not until spring though.

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

That would be great! Hopefully the location can be ascertained on campus from the picture in the Southeastern Palm issue. It'd be like a hardy Saba but w/o good fruit!

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Awesome! Maybe we can liberate the plant from the university and celebrate it in our gardens! This sounds like the right thing to do given the circumstances at Miami University.

:bananas_b

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I assume nothing ever came out of this project?

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

This is a link to that item you were talking about.
Upham was a name of a building on the campus and the basjoos were planted in the garden along with some palms.
The plants are said to be Balbisiana X Basjoo cross.

The plants which I have seen that were said to be in that study have the same growth characteristics as a regular plant.
These plants do exist but they do not seem any bigger then others I have seen locally.
This might be due to siting and growing conditions.



Cincinnati.Com: Home Style - You, too, can grow palms, magnolias

Re: Upham giant Basjoo
 

Bump.....for the basjoo lover.....