James Burghardt
Family
Musaceae
Botanical Name
MUSA 'Ney Mannan'( Ney Mannan, A B B Group)
Plant Common Name
Banana, Ney Mannan Banana
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
A sweet, creamy dessert banana, 'Ney Mannan' is an upright, fast growing, ornamental tropical herb (not a tree) with large, flat, bluish green leaves and fruits of a distinctive waxy blue tint and flesh that is sweet and creamy. Hands are densely lined with plump, light yellow fruits that may be box-like (with rounded sides). This hybrid triploid banana is tolerant of drier soil conditions and cooler temperatures, perfect for subtropical regions.
As with all bananas, each stem flowers and sets fruit only once before dying. That stem, or cane, is chopped out as the banana hand is harvested so that the other stems can grow fully. Immature Ney Mamman fruits are particularly waxy, with a blue-green look. When mature, fruits are light yellow skinned with a white, vanilla-flavored, custard-like flesh. Thus, may be also called the ice cream banana.
Banana plants love warm fertile soils with consistent moisture. Full sun exposures are best and a long growing season is required to set the flowering stalk and subsequent fruits. Avoid sandy, poor soils unless compost, mulch or other rich organic matter can be placed over the root zone; however this subgroup demonstrates adaptability to drier conditions. These plants are often root-hardy in warmer temperate zones and rejuvenate after spring frosts but likely will not attain ripe fruits. Large but thin, the leaf may shred in high winds. The exotic and tropical look of 'Ney Mannan', even without flowering and setting fruits, is reason enough to grow this plant.
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
Tender Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
10'-18' / 3.0m - 5.5m
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Width
8'-14' / 2.4m - 4.3m
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Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Average
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds
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Self-Sowing
No
