Musa "Mekong Giant"

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Palmer

Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Palmer »

I see Amulree are going to be selling Mekong Giant in the spring of 2012.
Any one going to try it! It could be a contender for the nana hardy list and I wouldn’t be surprised if its hardier then some varieties of Sikkimensis?


Tony
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Dave Brown
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Dave Brown »

Brian Williams (Brian's Botanicals) has been talking about this on Facebook, and he says he treats it the same as basjoo, killed to ground level (Kentucky) and grows to 10 feet the next season. It looks like this a a 30ft + plant if not killed to ground level. I'll be up for giving one a go, although anything above 6 feet gets trashed by wind.
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Dave
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musa_monkey

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by musa_monkey »

Tony,

Hmmm as hardy as Basjoo, that's not something i could resist for long so yes I will definitely try one. Let's hope it lives up to the claims.
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karl66
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by karl66 »

One of those will be on my list also. Might be a game to keep it stable if not against some structure though.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

It will be added to my "when I move house, plants to get list"!!
mushtaq86

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by mushtaq86 »

its a musa itinerans variety,unlikely to be as hardy as basjoo in UK climate,probably will also require warmer summers for good growth,one thing for sure no harm in trying :wink: :lol:
flounder

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by flounder »

I've looked at them a few times. Will try them eventually down here. Worst case scenario is they don't make it, best I reckon I could hope for would be just scraping through with full paramedic support on standby..................
Mr List

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Mr List »

might get one for a big pot until you guys try them outside :DD
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Dave Brown »

Brian Williams ( on facebook )
This plant is growing in a large batch about 8 years old.

Hardy here in zone 6 for 8 years and counting. I treat it just like basjoo.
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Dave
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billdango

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by billdango »

I will give one a go here in Southampton as it should at least be root hardy.
anyway nothing ventured nothing gained.
billdango. :D :D :D :D
Palmer

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by Palmer »

Dave Brown wrote:Brian Williams (Brian's Botanicals) has been talking about this on Facebook, and he says he treats it the same as basjoo, killed to ground level (Kentucky) and grows to 10 feet the next season. It looks like this a a 30ft + plant if not killed to ground level. I'll be up for giving one a go, although anything above 6 feet gets trashed by wind.
Dave, I’m doing a trade with Brian at the mo. I’ve sent him a couple of my zaifui and if and when he receives them he’s going to send me a couple of the Mekong’s

The general consensus in the US is that the Mekong Giant is…
Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis so you can understand why they just call it the Mekong Giant. :lol:
I’ve read a couple of reports of it surviving in Zone 5 with hefty mulch and the only other Musa that can survive those sort of conditions in the US is Basjoo.
We have long cold/wet winters here though so I guess it’s down to whether the rhizome can survive those sorts of conditions! If it can then I don’t see why some or all the stem couldn’t survive with the right protection… at least in most winters.
This nana is said to get very big growing under a tree canopy in the forests of Yunnan but then again so does Basjoo, it will only grow to more modest proportion though growing out in the open, like Basjoo does here.
One things for sure though if it can survive our winters its going to need plenty of space! it can send pups out on long rhizomes several feet away from the main plant


Tony
GREVILLE

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by GREVILLE »

Palmer wrote:
Dave Brown wrote:Brian Williams (Brian's Botanicals) has been talking about this on Facebook, and he says he treats it the same as basjoo, killed to ground level (Kentucky) and grows to 10 feet the next season. It looks like this a a 30ft + plant if not killed to ground level. I'll be up for giving one a go, although anything above 6 feet gets trashed by wind.
Dave, I’m doing a trade with Brian at the mo. I’ve sent him a couple of my zaifui and if and when he receives them he’s going to send me a couple of the Mekong’s

The general consensus in the US is that the Mekong Giant is…
Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis so you can understand why they just call it the Mekong Giant. :lol:
I’ve read a couple of reports of it surviving in Zone 5 with hefty mulch and the only other Musa that can survive those sort of conditions in the US is Musa basjoo.
We have long cold/wet winters here though so I guess it’s down to whether the rhizome can survive those sorts of conditions! If it can then I don’t see why some or all the stem couldn’t survive with the right protection… at least in most winters.
This nana is said to get very big growing under a tree canopy in the forests of Yunnan but then again so does Musa basjoo, it will only grow to more modest proportion though growing out in the open, like Musa basjoo does here.
One things for sure though if it can survive our winters its going to need plenty of space! it can send pups out on long rhizomes several feet away from the main plant


Tony
I want one :!: I want to boast about it - not just to show off a 30 foot banana but to impress people that I can pronounce it's real name icon_study I should have mastered how to say it by the time it's grown that big :lol:
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The Codfather
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by The Codfather »

I hope they get plenty in stock...... :lol:
AKA - Martin

Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
nige pook

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by nige pook »

Sounds promising,I would give one a go,in a pot of course! :roll: Nige
sanatic1234

Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"

Post by sanatic1234 »

One of these was being sold on ebay but in the USA though. for $6.99

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Musa-MEKONG-GIA ... 0795519248
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