Musa "Mekong Giant"
Musa "Mekong Giant"
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
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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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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.
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.
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
It will be added to my "when I move house, plants to get list"!!
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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..................
- Dave Brown
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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.
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.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
I will give one a go here in Southampton as it should at least be root hardy.
anyway nothing ventured nothing gained.
billdango.
anyway nothing ventured nothing gained.
billdango.
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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’sDave 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.
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.
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
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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 I should have mastered how to say it by the time it's grown that bigPalmer wrote: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’sDave 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.
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.
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
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Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
I hope they get plenty in stock......
AKA - Martin
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
Sounds promising,I would give one a go,in a pot of course! Nige
Re: Musa "Mekong Giant"
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
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Musa-MEKONG-GIA ... 0795519248