Scientific Name:
Musa acuminataProduct Details:
Ships late May 2010
Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish'- This is one of the best bananas for many locations. It was once a very popular commercial variety and is still widely grown. The plant is dwarf-sized, with broad leaves, and produces large bunches of medium-sized sweet fruit. Does well in greenhouses, containers, and winters well indoors in northern climates. This cultivar had numerous origins since it is a naturally occurring dwarf mutant of taller members of the Cavendish family. It is widely available, low priced and recommended. Dwarf Cavendish will thrive in full sun.
Banana leaves, pseudostem (trunk) and fruiting stem (raceme) grow from the underground rhizome (or pseudobulb's) top surface and the roots grow from the lower surface of the rhizome. The fleshy stems sheathed with huge broad leaves can grow from 2 to 35 feet in as little as 1 year, depending on variety and growing environment. Each pseudostem produces one flower cluster, which develops fruit, then dies. In addition each parent banana plant during its life cycle, will produce as many as 10 suckers which grow into new plants. New pseudostems then grow from the rhizome.
Bananas grow best in a uniformly warm environment and need 9 to 15 months of frost-free conditions to produce a flower stalk. In the subtropics, fruit ripens in 2-3 months. In cooler climates it may take several weeks longer to ripen. Plant growth stops when temperatures drop to 57°F. Stokes Tropicals Banana Blend (6-2-12) is the best fertilizer source for these fascinating tropical giants.