Commentary on news, politics, sports, religion, TV and movies
 Tom Tangney
Tom on KIRO Radio
Join Tom Tangney and the rest of the radio crew every day KIRO Radio.
About Tom Tangney
By day, you can hear Tom on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, and by night, he sits in the dark, making snide comments about what he sees on the silver screen.
Help us build a Fisher House
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.

Musa Basjoo - exotic, spectacular

April 27, 2012 @ 6:17 am

Musa Basjoo is a spectacular and flamboyant plant that offers a tropical look for climates that are nowhere near the Equator, climates like the Pacific Northwest even. It's actually a banana tree.

plant

(Image: Barbara Armitage with the Adair County Garden Club)

Originally from southern China, Musa basjoo is commonly and inaccurately dubbed the "Japanese Banana." Also "Hardy Banana." It's been successfully cultivated since the 19th century in Europe and North America, but it looks like what you'd expect to see on an island in the tropics.

It's a huge plant that can grow up to 18 feet tall and has wide bright green leaves that themselves get six feet long and two feet wide. It may be a year or two before it takes hold but once it does, it grows extremely fast, as much as two feet a week.

And yes, it bears fruit - bananas, of course. In fact, it's considered the hardiest of all banana trees, able to withstand even below-freezing temps. The punchline here is that the bananas are not only on the small side, about 4 inches long, but they're also inedible and virtually tasteless, with a sparse white pulp and lots of black seeds. The fruit may not be of much use but its roots are used by Chinese doctors to treat jaundice and free up urine flow.

Overall, the Japanese Banana is considered an ornamental plant that landscape architects use to bring a startlingly exotic quality to an otherwise mundane or traditional garden. And it's almost always a great conversation starter.

More Tom Tangney

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (4)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    and now back to Ciscoe Morris
    April 27, 2012 6:27 am
    for his movie reviews of the week. ?????
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TTangney wrote...
    Morris on movies?
    April 27, 2012 9:30 am
    Come to think of it, I think it WOULD be interesting to get Ciscoe's take on films! As for me, I'm writing about flowers and plants from the point of view of someone who knows nothing about gardening. (Insert cheap crack about me and movies.) I consider myself a student in Professor Morris' beginners class. Kind of like "Math for liberal arts majors."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    No disrespect intended but
    April 27, 2012 2:47 pm
    Barbara Armitage looks like a man, baby...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }