Re: [SG] hardy banana

Greetings:

I don't recall the variety, but when I was living in southeast Missouri, at
Cape Girardeau, I grew 8 banana trees. They were not hardy. They would grow
8-10 feet tall and produce bananas. The fruit was a bit more sugary and
smaller than what's found at the supermarket. They were delicious. The bonus
was unusual but, to me, attractive blooms.

I inherited 5 of the trees from an aged gentleman who had grown them as a
hobby. He had recently married (his first wife died). His new wife decided
she didn't want all those banana trees in the yard, so told him to get rid
of them. Instead of standing up for his hobby, he called me and asked if I'd
take them. You bet, I replied. I went to the house and dug up the trees. His
wife kept grumbling about how useless they were, adding that she was glad to
see them go. Her husband, as I got into my stationwagon, said he now
realized the marriage was a mistake. She was too bossy, he observed.

I drove home with banana trees sticking out of the back. I really needed a
red flag but didn't have one. I was shocked at the length of the trees.

I grew them in the front yard every summer. In the fall, I would cut them
into 4-foot lengths and stack them in a cool basement. In early spring they
would start to sprout. They went into the yard for another season of
blossoming and fruiting.

I had room for one when we moved to Iowa one autumn. It's offspring continue
to delight. They are grown in full sun here, and thrive.

John Adney
Marion, Iowa (zones 4-5)
johnadney@email.msn.com

-----Original Message-----

From: George Mannoe <nursery@IAW.ON.CA>
To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Date: Monday, November 30, 1998 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: [SG] hardy banana


>Frank Cooper asked for: What is the variety name of the Japanese banana?
>
>Musa basjoo, is a hardy banana native to Ryukyu Islands of Southern Japan.
>Lately it has become popular in Europe and is reported to be hardy around
0F
>without protection and -20F with mulching of its rootzone.
>Musa basjoo will grow 15 ft and taller when mature, it can flower and
fruit,
>but at least 35 leaves must be produced before florence, the flowers are
the
>most showy for banana's. The fruits are seeded and inedible.
>In containers the plant remains smaller and rarely comes to bloom.
>
>George Mannoe.
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