Scientific Name:
MusaProduct Details:
Ships late May 2010
Musa 'Bordelon'- First discovered in the Louisiana town of Bordelonville, this cultivar slightly resembles the Sumatrana, however Bordelon grows taller. Large ornamental foliage has maroon splotches on the upper surface and even more maroon on the underside. Readily produces flowers and makes seeded, inedible fruit, which are also ornamental. Makes an imposing colorful specimen, but has not yet been grown widely to test hardiness. Makes a great container plant.
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.