Willis Orchard Co.
Family
Musaceae
Botanical Name
MUSA 'Dwarf Cavendish'( Cavendish, A A A Group)
Plant Common Name
Banana, Dwarf Cavendish Banana
General Description
The edible and ornamental Dwarf Cavendish banana is an upright, fast-growing, small tree-like perennial with large, flat leaves. The flowers give rise to a modest crop of edible bananas. The waxy flowers are yellow and surrounded by purple bracts (modified floral leaves). The small fruits have sweet, white flesh that is seedless. This herbaceous perennial forms clumps of plants at the base, each flowering and fruiting only once before dying. New plantlets, or pups, continually emerge from the base.
Banana plants love warm, fertile soils with consistent moisture. Full sun exposures are best, and typically a long growing season is required to produce fruits, though compact cultivars like 'Dwarf Cavendish' produce fruits faster than large bananas. Avoid sandy, nutritionally poor soils unless they can be well amended and mulched. Banana plants are often root hardy in warmer temperate zones and rejuvenate after spring frosts. Once plants set fruit, they can be chopped out of the clump to allow new pup plants more room and resources to grow.
The sheer exotic and tropical look of this banana is reason enough to grow it. Its small, sweet bananas make it that much more desirable. Plant 'Dwarf Cavendish' in large patio containers or the middle of a mixed border.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 7
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USDA Hardiness Zone
8 - 15
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Fruit
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
8'-10' / 2.4m - 3.0m
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Width
4'-6' / 1.2m - 1.8m
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Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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Native To
Southeastern Asia, Australia
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Purple
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Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
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Fruit Color
Yellow
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
Yes
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
Yes
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Bold
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Container, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Mixed Border, Tropical
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
No