I fancy growing something unusual and a banana tree (not a plantain) has
been suggested as something that ought to grow in rural Cambridgeshire, but
almost certainly won't bear edible fruit.

Would URGlers agree on that?

--
Brian

There are "hardy" bananas, most well known are Musa basjoo, Musa sikkimensis and Musella lasiocarpa. Their fruits are inedible even when grown in perfect conditions. In Cambridgeshire they are more likely to display root-hardiness, in other words would resprout from the ground each year, rather than stem-hardiness you can get in the coastal SW if you protect well. Would still need protection though, in which case there are tales of them resprouting after external temps as low as -15C.

You won't be able to grow the Cavendish banana (the one whose fruit you buy in the shop) outdoors, fruit or no fruit.

"Brian Watson" wrote in message
...
I fancy growing something unusual and a banana tree (not a plantain) has
been suggested as something that ought to grow in rural Cambridgeshire, but
almost certainly won't bear edible fruit.

Would URGlers agree on that?

--
Brian


I would agree that it is very unlikely that you will get an edible banana
outside.
There are a few that will give a fruit under glass. We do live in hope and
each year there is something new that promises to be even hardier than the
standard basjoo. It is only a matter of time before some type of hybrid is
produced which will produce an edible fruit, but I guess you will have to
stretch your imagination to say that it tastes nice.

It looks as though at least some fruit have set on Musa sikkimensis
that started flowering here a while back. In view of our very long
growing season here in S. Devon, there's a reasonable chance of
ripening. However, because of its seed content, it is unlikely to be
classed as a desert variety. In any case, I'm more interested in the
seeds since if they are viable the resultant plants will be hybrids
with Musa basjoo, which has been flowering here since early April.

Brian, the only true banana that is certain to survive in your region
is Musa basjoo, which is now very widely planted in gardens throughout
much of mainland UK. As someone who has had what is almost a mass-
flowering of bananas over the past couple of years, I can assure you
such a seemingly momentous event is not particularly a good thing from
a gardening point of view. Musas look ravishing when growing well,
but a wonderful nay magnificent clump of lush, tropical foliage is
rapidly reduced to an unholy and hideous mess the moment flowering
commences. One flowering shoot is bad enough, but if you are unlucky
to get several at more or less the same time then it's a gardening
catastrophe.

Being a huge herbaceous perennial (not a tree - there are no woody
parts) it produces a shoot, which flowers and then that shoot dies,
more or less like Michaelmas Daisies or Delphiniums. Like them new
shoots will arise to replace those that have flowered. Unlike your
everyday border perennials, once flowering is completed, you are left
with ruddy great, slowly and slimily decomposing 'trunks' of dying
leaf sheathes that can be anything up to 14 feet high and nearly 2ft.
in diameter at the base. Try composting that little lot! In my case
I've had 8 deal with in just 18 months. Most have now been cut away,
but there are still another 3 waiting for me to garner the time,
energy and inclination. The 'holes' they leave take some filling
too.

By all means plant a basjoo or if your garden is reasonably sheltered
you might try Musa sikkimensis provided you are prepared to give some
protection in winter. However, for goodness sake don't look forward
to, or encourage them to flower. Enjoy them for their leaves, which
are fabulous and when you hear or read of someone else boasting about
their nanas flowering, breathe a big sigh of relief that it hasn't
happened to yours. Yet!

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
ups.com...

snip

Many thanks to both responders.

--
Brian

Brian Watson wrote:

I fancy growing something unusual and a banana tree (not a plantain) has
been suggested as something that ought to grow in rural Cambridgeshire,
but almost certainly won't bear edible fruit.

Would URGlers agree on that?


I think its Musa Dwarf Cavendish which can produce edible fruit in the uk,
though only inside a heated greenhouse/poly tunnel or conservatory.

As for the Basjoo, i've grown quite a lot of these, nearly all suckers from
the mama plant, that one grew to over 12" tall, produced a spectacular
flower, some truly miniscule fruit, got ripped to shreds by a storm and
then promptly died. Still it was all rather exciting :-)

As for other exotics, you could try growing Pineapples or sweet potatos (bit
late for them really this year), i've got several very healthy looking
lemon trees grown from seed. Several 5+ years old. Also got an almond tree
grown from seed, producing it's first fruit this year. I like the odd
exotic or two.

Duncan

dr wrote:
As for the Basjoo, i've grown quite a lot of these, nearly all
suckers from the mama plant, that one grew to over 12" tall, produced
a spectacular flower, some truly miniscule fruit, got ripped to
shreds by a storm and then promptly died. Still it was all rather
exciting :-)


The fruiting stem always dies!

The stem or trunk you see in normal growth is infact not a stem but the leaf
bases with a hollow centre through which the only true stem grows to flower
and fruit.

Always important to keep a family group to replace mamma when she flowers.

pk