Welcome to the fascinating world of the banana! If you're a plant lover, you probably already know that the banana we commonly eat belongs to the Cavendish species, which supplanted the 'Gros Michel' variety due to Panama disease.
The Cavendish is a tropical plant. If you've seen a banana growing in gardens in temperate zones, it's likely not a Cavendish, but a Musa Basjoo, known for its cold resistance (but also for its small, flavorless fruit).
There are several cultivars of the Cavendish species, such as the Giant Cavendish, recognizable for its massive size, and the Dwarf Cavendish (or Musa acuminata), which is much more compact and has distinctive black spots on its trunk. Dwarf bananas are very popular in the Canary Islands and, according to some, are even tastier.
The Unique Botany of the Cavendish Banana
From a botanical standpoint, the Cavendish banana is a triploid, meaning it has three sets of genetic material instead of the two typical of most organisms. This characteristic makes the plant sterile, which is why you won't find seeds in the bananas we eat. This peculiarity also makes them impossible to grow from seed.
New edible banana plants are produced by tissue culture or through the suckers that grow at the base of the mother plant (meaning they are all clones).
Tips for Cultivation
If you live in a warmer climate, I recommend you try growing a Cavendish banana. However, be careful when buying them: many nurseries sell plants generically labeled as "Musa." To get edible bananas, make sure you buy a true fruit-bearing variety like Musa acuminata Cavendish, Orinoco, Red Dacca, Topocho, or others. Varieties like Musa velutina or Ensete ventricosum produce inedible fruit.
Banana Varieties and Cold Hardiness
Here’s a quick guide to some common banana varieties and their characteristics.
| Banana Variety | Scientific Name | Fruit Type | Cold Hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavendish | Musa acuminata | Seedless, edible, sweet | Low (Zones 10-11) |
| Dwarf Cavendish | Musa acuminata | Seedless, edible, sweet | Low (better for pots) |
| Orinoco | Musa hybrid | Edible, starchy, cooking banana | Medium (Zones 8-9) |
| Ensete | Ensete ventricosum | Edible corm (stem), not fruit | Low (frost sensitive) |
| Plantain | Musa hybrid | Starchy, must be cooked | Low (Zones 10-11) |
And here's why the banana you eat is different from the wild varieties.
| Trait | Wild Bananas | Cultivated Bananas (e.g., Cavendish) |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds | Large, hard seeds throughout the fruit | Seedless or tiny, unnoticeable vestiges |
| Genetics | Diploid (two sets of chromosomes) | Triploid (three sets of chromosomes) |
| Propagation | From seeds | Vegetative (suckers or tissue culture) |
I hope this overview of bananas was useful. Remember, bananas aren't trees—they're giant herbaceous plants!
Happy growing!
