this is musa Ele Ele or the black stemmed banana. Notice the 5 gal pot its growing in.The tree was used outdoors a year ago in a display bed.Its about 10 feet tall and the flower is so different than some of the other bananas I grow.
Musa Ele Ele is fruiting..
Heres a closer look at the flower stem and fruit.
I didn't even know this plant had bloomed..the flower was turned away from the sidewalk. I need to pay closer attention. :-)
Nice!!!
Kyle, you have some wierd looking nanas there. Are they edible?
I would just love to play in your greenhouse
Kyle, pls pretty pls would you post this ele ele in the PF? Way back when I was googling this plant, the same pic kept cropping up over and over. Seems like everybody just "borrowed" the same pic. I don't remember ever finding pics of regular people growing this nana. Your pic shows the black stems really good.
I have a little one that has been a relatively slow grower. Was yours the same?? well, that's a STUPID question. I'm asking the man with the magic green thumbs, lol!
This one grows as fast as the others for me, I threw away several large trees of it last year(no room at the inn) I got the original as a 4 inch pot from tissue culture.This one amazes me that it blooms in a 5 gallon pot.As far as I know its edible.Will know down the road.
:-)
Vossner I'll try to get you some better pics of the young plant and foliage.
Road trip to Iowa anyone? Finding Kyle's throw away plants would be worth it.
ardesia the boss wants me to make room for the annuals soon, so more things will have to go. :-(
Welllllll, you ought to be.....
Making a list and checking it twice,
Many of us (both naughty and nice)
Would be interested in your throw away plants
And you would not have to listen to your boss's rants
(Sorry, a bit slap happy here and it is still morning.......)
Most of the toss outs are too big to ship.........some would cost a fortune to send to anyone. :-)
I notice with yours and mine that you do not seem to get a black trunk as much as I have seen in other photos. You can see it at the top portion but I have seen photos of it in Hawaii were the whole trunk is a dark dark black look. I thought the fruit also rippened to a dark color??
Your plants look great, in the greenhouse. I've never met a banana I didn't like, just can't keep them over the winter. I have lots of baby ears tho.
Brian, the trunk was darker when it was smaller then lost most of the color.Have never had fruit on it before so will see what color they turn.
I have a small one ( which is now mush for the winter in the ground). Surely yours is rooted into the ground through the pot?????
If not, I would surely be tempted next year to put mine in a 5 gallon pot. It really is such a beautiful and interesting plant.
I have read that the fruit is edible. However as you know, you can read anything. Please let us know.
Kay
No roots other than in the pot..see pic..the pot is sitting on the walkway.Thats what is so strange about this one.All the others are rooted out into the ground.Cept my Ice cream banana..its on a bench.
Kyle :-)
So it's root system is very small! Has it ever produced pups yet? Mine has not and I am supposed to share it with two people when it makes them. Are they waiting in vain?????
It is amazing that your plant doesn't topple over with no roots in the ground and no wires holding up! Wow!
Kay
Kay mine has three small pups just starting to grow. unlike other bananas that by now would have a half grown pup next to the fruiting one.
:-)
Somebody told me that if I would kind of gently cut down into the stalk with a shovel (in the summer), that sometimes that would cause a pup to form. I'm new to banana plants, so that sounded intrigueing, but has anybody ever heard of this?
Kay
not me.... :-)
If you damage the center growing point of a banana it will cause the plant to release a hormone and pup out much like one does after flowering. This is done with many plants Bromeliads are commonly spiked as they call it in the center to cause it to pup out.
This was done to Ensetes as well and a large Ensete damaged before flowering in the center will send out tons of pups. I for one would like to know what hormone is being released. Their was talk of putting a birth control pill and in the soil right next to a banana and that it causes it to pup. I have not yet tried this. It's but I plan to this spring.
That is soooo cool, Kyle! Let us know how the nana tastes. Someone should live close to you to pickup the throwaway goodies.
:) Donna
bwilliams, please describe the "center growing point". Like I said, this is all new to me, and I am intrigued.
Thanks
Kay
bwilliams, it was Alohahoya who is working on the birth control pill experiment. I understood her to say that she made slurry or solution and put it the space just above where the leaf stalk joined the pseudostem.
The pseudostem is more like a trunk made up of the other leaves and stems. It is the meristem were the magic happens. This is the center and most important part to a plant. It is were the starchy tubers and rhizomes transform into leaves and flowers. This is the area most used in tissue culture due to the fact it is pure no disease and no fungus. This is why cannas with a virus can be TCed and no longer have the virus due to using this pure and core form of the plant. In a banana the leaves are formed down at the bottom and pushed up to the very top. When a banana flowers this center growth point is pushed up and forms into the flowers after that the plant will die. It uses all its energy in the flowers and fruit. If this meristem is damaged though as a defense the plant releases a hormone this hormone will cause the plant to pup out. This is seen in many plants as a fight for survival under stress some plants will produce many pups inorder to survive.
I found a link with a photo of a meristem. Damaging this area in a banana will cause it to pup out it will in most cases cause death or problems to the main mother plant.
http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_dictionary/meristem.jpg
I also added a interesting photo. This is a photo of a Palm tree much like bananas the palm has one center growth point. Most species are known for growing from one trunk this species is known for only having one trunk. This is a rare sight and some people collected these as prized palm trees. This palm was struck by lightning it split the meristem into and fused it back. It did not cause the tree to die but to become two headed. This botanical garden has a few of these odd palm in their collection.
http://www.greenpalminn.com/images/photos-sized/small-hotel-2.jpg
the palm Hyphanae compressa East African Doum palm branches just like that, looks like the leaves in your pic.They can have many branched trunks and stems.Only species that naturally grows that way.They have always been interesting.
:-)
I had some photos of the exact palm I was talking about but I have around 20,000 photos and I think it maybe lost for now. I found that pic on the net so it is most likely the palm you speak of Kyle.