Family: Musaceae
Scientific name: Musa acuminata
Common name: Dwarf banana
Origin: Malaysia

This banana is the precursor of the commonly eaten banana from the supermarket, and produces sweet bananas of about 12 cm in size. The species is known to be already cultivated in 8000 BC, and is therefore one of the earliest domesticated plants on earth. The fruits are naturally eaten by bats, apes, birds and squirrels that thereby provide the dispersal of the seeds. This tropical species can in temperate climates be kept as a container plant at a minimum of 5 degC. A sheltered stand is recommended.

Sowing description: Sand the seeds with sanding paper and soak them in lukewarm water for 48 hours. Sow the seeds in sowing mix and keep the soil constantly moist by covering the soil with plastic foil or glass. Let the seeds germinate in a warm spot indoors (for example in the sun or near a heater). Germination can take a few weeks or months, and can still occur as long as the seeds are firm.

Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 5 degrees Celcius

Photo 1: Kurt Stüber (CCA-3.0 Wikipedia)
Photo 2: Toffel