Musa itinerans 'India Form' seedlings

[Bigfish]

Hello everyone, I have these available now in limited quantities for $20 + shipping (Priority Mail, usually runs around $13-$15). 

Musa itinerans ‘India Form’ is a variety of Musa itinerans that’s fairly new to cultivation, having only been discovered in Northeastern India sometime in the past 20 years or so. It has no official name yet still. It is a forest banana, so it prefers some shade to look its best, but I have grown it outside in Gainesville, Florida in full sun and it does fine also. Like most Musa itinerans, it’s a traveling banana (the species epithet "itinerans" is from "itinerant," meaning traveling from place to place), so it sends runners out several feet away from the parent pseudostem (up to 2 meters!). Plan for that when you're deciding where to plant it. It definitely needs some room.

 

One feature that really sets this variety apart from the others is the very striking, bright red mid-vein of the leaf that “bleeds” out into the leaf. This is prominent on young plants and pups. The red coloration does fade as the pseudostem grows and matures, however…

 

Another great feature of this species is its cold-hardiness. I grew this banana in the ground in Knoxville, TN (in the first four pictures). It withstood several zone 7 winters there, but it was late returning in the spring. It’s not as cold-hardy as M. itinerans var. itinerans or M. basjoo, but I would rate it about zone 8a.  The 5th picture (not good quality) is when I had a large mat of it planted in Gainesville, FL.  The remaining pictures are representative of the  plant that you will receive.  They were germinated in June, so are  a couple of months old now, and are growing very well.  Your plant may be a little smaller or larger, but it will be a healthy, robust plant.

 

I will ship this bare-rooted, with the roots wrapped in soil-less media.  A few of the leaves may have to be cut as well, but it grows quickly.  One thing to be aware of is that when a plant is bare-rooted, then shipped, then potted back up in a new environment/media, it's natural to go through a transplant shock period.  Keep your plant in the shade, your potting media evenly moist, and don't let it dry out during this time. 

 

Sorry, no shipping to CA, HI, or AK.  No international orders.

 

This plant has been around in a few collections for the past 10 years or so, but never widely available.  DM me for PayPal address.

[Mandrew968]

I assume the fruit is edible but is it seedless? Cuz if anyone has ever had a banana seed in their mouth, they are tooth breakers! Gorgeous plant and always for pushing rare stuff. Thanks

[Bigfish]

2 hours ago, Mandrew968 said:

I assume the fruit is edible but is it seedless? Cuz if anyone has ever had a banana seed in their mouth, they are tooth breakers! Gorgeous plant and always for pushing rare stuff. Thanks

Definitely NOT seedless, LOL!  It's a wild species, so it'll be full of seeds, if the flowers get pollinated.  If there are no other flowers around to pollinate the first female flowers (the male flowers open up after the female flowers are no longer receptive), then the fruit just won't plump up and mature.  Glad you like it!

Frank