Description

General aspect and origins - Musa acuminata is one of the wild bananas (with Musa balbisiana and M. schizocarpa) which led to most edible banana cultivars. Musa acuminata is native to the Malay peninsula, and can grow up to 20 ft (6 m) and even 30 ft (9 m) tall. Wild Musa acuminata are seeded and thus not really edible. But numerous selections of this species led to seedless cultivars that have been propagated vegetatively for centuries.
Leaves - As all Musa species, the pseudo-stem of Musa acuminata is made of upright concentric layers of leaf sheaths. Leaves can be up to 12 ft (4 m) long and 3 ft (1 m) wide.
Flowers - The inflorescence is a long pendulous or horizontal stalk, that bears many purple bracts.
Fruits - Although the wild Musa acuminata, that still grows in Malaysia, bears seeded and inedible bananas, numerous selections and crossings (mainly with Musa balbisiana) led to plants with seedless edible bananas, like for instance Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish', which is a small plant that is widely grown in tropical areas, both for its ornemental values, and for its edible bananas.

Culture

This banana species is not very frost hardy, and cannot withstand negative temperatures bellow about 30°F (-1°C). It can thus be grown in USDA zones 10a and warmer.
Soil - Musa sp. prefer fertile and well-drained grounds.

Propagation

The wild species has seeded bananas, and can thus be propagated by seeds. However, most selections that have seedless fruits will be propagated vegetatively.