It is a good thing I walk the garden each day. Or maybe a bad thing. I just noticed this bloom and surely it did not grow overnight? I must've missed it-oops-let's not talk of missing things in the garden...
I am SO excited!!! It must be a banana bloom? I have never seen one and thought the Musa bajoo would not bloom-but here it is! I think. Don't you think it looks like an ear of corn?
I looked up this hardy banana online and found the Musa bajoo will bloom after 3-4 years. Mine has been growing here for two. After this stalk flowers, it will die. Fortunately though there are many new pups coming up all around it which will ensure the plant goes on in my vegetable garden.
The Musa bajoo blossom is used in oriental cooking and is considered a very good food. If the bloom was not so pretty I might consider cutting it up and frying it in a little stir fry to try eating a banana bloom. Just for fun. Of course, I should try a daylily bloom first since I have a bunch of them now shouldn't I?
Here's looking forward to this bloom opening up soon-maybe in time for GBBD?
in the garden....
First chocolate and now bananas! I didn't know you were growing a banana tree...how cool! I have eaten some flowers..nastutiums and maybe violets (I think they were in the package) but not daylilies.
ReplyDeleteGail
Gail, I didn't even think of the chocolate/banana combo but it sure works! One of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteYou must be doing something right. I have been growing this for 8 years and have never had a bloom on it. Maybe it has been too busy taking over my garden to worry about flowering. This is the banana for people who think they can't grow bananas.
ReplyDeleteWow, you're so lucky! I'd love a banana plant in my garden.
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ReplyDeleteIs that banana hardy in TN or do you replant it each year? It would be pretty neat to get fruit from it. I might consider one or two of those in our yard if it's hardy!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful large plant, relatives in Texas have this, finally got bananas, but teeny, tiny.
ReplyDeleteWow! That is really cool. Is your banana directly in the ground or is it in a large pot (I couldn't quite tell but it looks like it's directly in the ground). Ours is in a pot which we have to bring in each winter. We get lots of new starts but never a bloom.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it opened !
Hi Les! These guys sure do spread. Fortunately they are contained within a planting bed in the center of the vegetable garden. I give the extras away as people love them. I hope yours are in an area where they can spread their wings. They are such great focal points in the garden. But yours have never bloomed? This is kind of weird then. I think bananas are actually growing on mine and will watch it closely.
ReplyDeleteCinj, They are pretty cool, but sadly not hardy to where you are. Pots always work though they can be tough to tote around.
Dave, Musa bajoo IS hardy here in middle Tennessee. I planted one pup two years ago (I bought it at Summer Celebration which is going on today and you see I am not there:( and now have several. I have never done anything special to them. After the first frost they die down and I have to cut the stalk away and compost. But that is it. They stay in the ground all year. All growth on it is done in one season. Even last year's late freeze and drought did not stop them in their tracks. I thought I had lost them for sure but not so. Like Les said, these bananas are easy to grow.
Dawn, Do your relatives grow their bananas outside? And are they the hardy ones or tropical do you know? Are they going to eat them-or maybe send you some?
Cindy, You should get a bloom at some point. It is a funny bloom and beginning to open now. At the base of the bloom is a flower part (pistil or stamen not sure which) and it just kind of circles the corn cob thing. It is quite cool. I'll get some better pictures soon. I think even in pots you should get blooms. In Indiana I saw a large banana pot outside a home with the most prettiest blooms and bananas forming. Not sure what they do for them. I'll cross my fingers for yours. I do leave it outside as it is hardy here. Loves the space. Good thing because I hate digging and hauling stuff in when it gets cold. I must say though, this banana is in a raised bed in a bricked in vegetable garden. The raised bed may help it a bit. Not sure.
Wow a banana tree too! That banana does look like an ear of corn at the moment, lol. That is so cool that it is producing fruit.
ReplyDeleteBoy Tina, that is impressive. I was given a banana tree once, it grew then didn't make it through the winter. It was so large anyway, it looked out of place in the style of garden here. To get bananas is too cool. There was a hardy banana at the UT hort gardens at bloom day, I didn't notice blooms, but have photos I can check. It was a red one. You say it spreads too? I can't wait to see if you get bananas, talk about global warming.
ReplyDeleteTina, I am so jealous of your banana plant! But you already know that! LOL. Our little plant is chugging along at a slow pace. My brother in TN gave us a baby nana two years ago. We kept it in a pot in the sunroom and kept it on top a plant stand away from kitty paws! It was growing to the ceiling so we decided to put it into the ground the second year. It was attacked by the Killer Squirrels and shredded to pieces within a few weeks of planting! Darn Critters! So we moved it to another spot away from the squirrel’s playground. Then the early frost got it this spring and now this drought! I have been watering it regularly and it has made a come back being a few feet tall and has about 5 leaves on it now. Poor thing has been through a lot.
ReplyDeleteSteamy sticky icky outside today! ¼ inch of rain late yesterday so no watering for me today!
Wow, it really looks like corn. I have seen these at home depot and rural king, I wasn't sure they would do good here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great plant. I love those little surprises--I had a few myself after the rain this weekend. Will you post a picture when the blossom opens?
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!! I thought it very cool when I saw it last summer but to have it bloom goes over being very cool. It does look like an ear of corn. Can't wait to see it blooming. Never saw one before. Very neat.
ReplyDeleteGood news....NO CAST!!!! Just a nasty sprain, but, he did put me on high blood pressure meds and have to go back in a month. Darn, darn, darn. LOL. Terri-Lynn yelled GOOD. He asked me if I would come back in a month and I told him I would (only way he would give me the scrip). I told him I would if he did'nt order me to be happy about it.
HOLY GREEN BANANAS. That is great. I hope you get a bloom & the fruit. I didn't know they would grow in Tn. Keep us up to date on the bloom.
ReplyDeleteJean, what did you go & do? What did you sprain? Hope you feel better real soon.
Skeeter, real hot here. We're in hurricane season so no tell when we get rain. thunder & lightening too.
Hello to all my cyber friends. Hope all are having a great day & continue into the night.
Perennial Gardener, I think it is too cool too!
ReplyDeleteFrances, You couldn't possibly fit a banana in your place unless you took out more of that side lawn. Hmmm, that could work. It would fit in great! That red banana you saw probably wouldn't be hardy. I think just the Musa bajoo is the one for here. We shall see if I get bananas and I don't see why not? Maybe a pollination thing though. Global warming indeed!
Skeeter, It is very possible your banana is not the same type, despite its abuse :) My friends up here (Phil and Judie) also have one that is tiny and not doing well. Their mailman gave it too them but maybe it is not the same. Not sure. However, if you bring the truck, I can share a pup with you gladly, and we'll see how it does for you. Okay?
Sarah, Yes! I saw them at Rural King last year. You have to make sure to get 'hardy banana'. They do great! Lotsa fun.
Cosmo, You bet I'll post a picture. I doubt if it will get pollinated but the flower is there for sure! Should be cool and what surprises did you have?
Mom, I suspected as much after anonymous's mom had the same thing. It will heal with rest, stay out of the garden. Take your medicine! Take it easy!
Hey Lola! Hot and humid here too but we got 4 inches of rain last night! Rain is good, though it brings humidity. Bananas do well here. Do you have some? My pineapple lillies are doing so well! I hope those bloom for me too!
Now Ms Jean, you keep off that foot and let it heal properly! And you need to go to the DR when they say too! Take your meds and be a good girl...
ReplyDeleteLola, we are now getting pop up showers and storm each day all around town. We had 1/10 inch of rain this afternoon and that will help with the 4/10 yesterday so no watering for me again tomorrow. Wet grass will be fun to mow! The yard loves it as is everything else to include the weeds! Arg, I spotted weeds all over the place!
Pulled some carrots from the herb plot and they are so tiny and never did a thing for us. Bunny was in the yard as usual so I put them in one of its spots for him/her to munch. Such a cute furry thing.... Saint almost stepped on it when putting meal worms in the tray for the birds! He/she is just not scared of us at all! We never see it until we about step on the thing. LOL…
Yes Tina, save me a baby nanner!
Mom, you'll want to go back because will make you feel so much better! Still trying to figure out 'bout my email, grrr, frustrates me, calling server in the a.m.
ReplyDeleteEddie had only small, small, bananas and said it took ten years, she said they were decorative and not ediable
They look great and I can't until you show us the full bloom. DON'T EAT IT! LOL
ReplyDeleteMy brother in law has them all around his pool and just cleared them out. We got about ten I think. They are sitting in my wheel barrow and have been for about ten days. It has been raining and they seem perfectly happy in there. LOL..but I must get them out and plant them.
Skeeter, nanna saved!
ReplyDeleteDawn, I don't think these will be edible either.
Eve, I will not eat this bloom but the next one is fair game!
Dawn did the folks in Texas try to eat them? They do sell what they call Babay Bananas and they are about half the size of a regular one. I buy them quite often as I really like them better.
ReplyDeleteLola I was outside working and was
in my eletric wheelchair as our land is a couple of acres and I go all over but had given up gardening because I am unable to walk it all. However with the w/c
I am now out and about most days. When I bring it in the house I usually turn it down to the slowest speed and forgot the other day. So....when I went to turn it I was going too fast and my foot got stuck on the side of the fridge. The w/c kept going but my foot did'nt move and I hear a pop loud enough to be a darn ole shotgun so really thought I had broken it. I must have really strong bones!!! Anyway it is only sprained so I guess I am lucky. It is some better than it was so I guess it is healing.
Skeeter you sound like a mother!!!
I am doing good but it is killing me to be good as I had sooooo much I was gonna do this week. Big double sigh!!
Ouch that sounds painful. Be careful there Mario Andretti!
ReplyDeleteWell, Jean to tell you the truth I dont practice what I preach! I dont go to Doctors unless I really really have to! But I can tell others to do so… LOL…
I hope it heals soon so you can have some family fun, after all, the weekend is here and time for family….
Oh dear Skeeter, you sound too much like me. My hubby keeps saying you tell everyone else to go but you won't go and wants to know how come. I went to dr's when I was having my kids and that was that. But 8 years ago I had a problem and went but after my back sugery 6 years ago I had not been back till yesterday....
ReplyDeleteLOL ....when I worked at the tank farm my boss called me Mario Andretti cause of how I drove the golf cart and the truck!!!
Too funny Jean...
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