| Musa basjoo | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Musaceae |
| Genus: | Musa |
| Species: | M. basjoo |
| Binomial name | |
| Musa basjoo Siebold & Zucc. ex Iinuma |
|
Musa basjoo, known variously as Japanese Banana,[1] Japanese Fibre Banana[2] or Hardy Banana, is a species belonging to the genus Musa. It was previously thought to have originated from the Ryukyu islands of Japan, from where it was first described in cultivation,[3] but is now known to have originated from southern China, where it is also widely cultivated, with wild populations found in Sichuan province.[4][2]
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Musa basjoo is a herbaceous perennial with trunk-like pseudostems growing to around 2–2.5 metres (6.6–8.2 ft), with a crown of mid-green leaves growing up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) long and 70 centimetres (28 in) wide when mature. The species produces male and female flowers on the same inflorescence which may extend for over 1 metre (3.3 ft). The banana fruit formed are yellow-green, around 5–10 centimetres (2.0–3.9 in) long and 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.2 in) broad; they are inedible, with sparse white pulp and many black seeds.[3][5]
Musa basjoo has been extensively cultivated for fibre and as an ornamental plant in gardens outside its natural range, first into Japan, and from the late 19th century, in parts of northern Europe (north to Britain), the United States, and Canada. Although the pseudostem may only cope with a few degrees below freezing, the underground rhizome is considered frost hardy, if well insulated with thick mulch, in areas with winter temperatures down to -15° C.[6] If the pseudostem is killed, the banana will resprout from the ground where it rapidly grows to full size in a season under optimal conditions. Thus, it can be grown as far north as Zone 8.[3][6] It can also be overwintered under cover in a pot and kept growing, which is the only way it can be made to fruit in northern regions as it requires 12–24 months of warmth to bloom.[3]
In gardens it is used as a hardy 'tropical foliage' plant. In its home range in Japan, where it is thought to have been imported from China, the fibres of the plant are used to produce textiles known in Japanese as bashōfu (芭蕉布, lit. "banana cloth").