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Common Name: Dwarf Banana

General Information

Musa acuminata is a perennial plant that can grow up to 3.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Southern China, India, Malaysia and the Phillipines.

Habitat

Shaded and moist ravines, marshlands, semi-marshlands and slopes from near sea level to 1200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny sheltered position in a well-drained fertile soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5[].
This species is able to tolerate light frosts, but it requires a very sheltered position[]. Another report says that it requires a minimum winter temperature of 10°c and no lower than 18°c when the fruit is ripening[].
Wild plants are diploid (2n = 22) and bear fruits containing numerous seeds making them inedible. Cultivated plants are triploid (2n = 33) and bear seedless, edible fruits; such plants have been called M. acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (M. cavendishii Lambert ex Paxton; M. chinensis Sweet; M. nana Loureiro)[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or dried for later use[]. Sweet[, ]. The fruit is up to 12cm long and 2.5cm wide[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow the large seed in individual pots in the spring in a warm greenhouse at about 20°c[]. Grow the seedlings on in a rich soil, giving occasional liquid feeds. Keep the plants in the greenhouse for at least three years before trying them outdoors.
Division of suckers in late spring. Dig up the suckers with care, trying to cause the least disturbance to the main plant. Pot them up and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse until they are well established.