COMMON NAME Sweetheart Banana |
BOTANICAL NAME Musa acuminata ‘Sweetheart’ |
HEIGHT 8′ – 14′ |
WIDTH 6′ |
EVERGREEN |
PERENNIAL |
COLD TOLERANCE 32° F on leaves, roots regrow |
SOIL TYPE Wet or dry |
DROUGHT TOLERANCE Medium |
SALT TOLERANCE Low |
FLOWER Yellowish-white flowers (tinged with translucent maroon sometimes) are arranged in groups beneath each layer of purplish-red outer bracts (which are like petals) |
MONTH OF COLOR Spring to early Summer |
FRUIT Edible, green unripe; yellow tinted when ripe (3 – 6 months to fully ripen) |
COMMENTS Fast growing banana to produce. Heavy crops on drier soils, with high disease resistance. Common in southeast Asian cuisine, flowers from the blossoms are edible, and must be cleaned and used fresh! Blossom stems are thick and fibrous, use tree saw or machete. Warning: clear sap stains clothing dark brownish -red. When the fruit starts to develop, cut off remaining flower to encourage sweeter bananas and lessen flower mess. Harvest fruit when green and full sized; The fruit may split open if left on the plant. |
PRICE 30 gallon $70, 7 gallon $35 |