Musafied

I've been searching for a regular, non-tiger, M. sikkimensis for months. The online sources I've found so far show pics of the tiger cultivar which I do not want. I want one with solid GREEN leaf above, cinnamon underneath. I have one young plant right now approx 20" high that I got from Plant Delights, supposedly non-tiger per picture and description, but the leaves are showing the tiger striping. Is this because the plant is young? If not, does anyone know where I can find a regular one? Thanks for any suggestions, this is one of my all-time favorite bananas. I've waited a long time for another regular one. I really miss the one I used to have!

__________________
oh yeah, I'm sane enough to talk to plants!
~ Dr. Julie

jmoore

All sikkimensis will have some form of striping even the 'non' tiger variety. I doubt that Tiger actually exists and is just a normal sikkimensis. The striping becomes less pronounced as they get older.

Sikkimensis 'Daj Giant' doesn't have as much striping if that's what you want.

Musafied

Thanks for your reply. The one I used to have had no striping whatsoever. I got it very young and it grew well. Each new leaf started out solid green and stayed green, always with that beautiful cinnamon colored (especially the spirals) backside and reddish midrib.

I do want one that is solid green/cinnamon without striping. Here's a couple photos from forum members I found searching threads with what I'm looking for:
Sikkimensis "Daj Giant"
Musa Sikkimensis Gigantea
These pics show the regular coloring, this is exactly what I want

I'm not too familiar with the different variants or what exactly makes them different (other than harvest location). What's the difference between tiger, Hookeri, Darjeeling, Munipar, etc. In other words, I know they grow in different regions, but what specifically causes the red variegation vs non-variegated green leaf color?

__________________
oh yeah, I'm sane enough to talk to plants!
~ Dr. Julie

RobG7aChattTN

With mine the new shoots often have a decent bit of striping...but it is quite variable. Some look like 'Red Tiger' and some are completely green from the start. They all lose it by the time they get a bit of height though.

Musafied

Hmmm, well, I guess I've been lucky to see several with no striping at all, and grew one with no striping. But, I still want another one just like my last one. I know it sounds weird, but I really loved that plant and I've been hooked on getting another just like it ever since. I'm keeping the one I have, maybe it'll stop throwing colored leaves and also get more of a cinnamon color on the backside (which it has, but the spiral backside isn't as colorful as I'd like). So if anyone has one they're willing to sell or a young one they're willing to let go of, please PM me!!

__________________
oh yeah, I'm sane enough to talk to plants!
~ Dr. Julie

griphuz

Not true, but since the 'market' seems to think we customers only want red stripes, most sikkimensis seem to have some degree of tiger in it.
Wild sikkimensis however (I've seen them myself in Darjeeling and Sikkim e.g.) does not have this tiger pattern, and neither do most adult plants. The stripes are almost only present is the smaller suckers and young plants.

I have a couple of big ones myself, dark green on top and nice reddish on underneath the leaves. Unfortunately I am from the Netherlands so I can't really ship you one Musafied,...

Good luck finding one, I'm sure you will!
Kind regards,
Remko.

jmoore

I'm sure I said that the young plants had the striping and it becomes less pronounced when they get older.

All wild species are open pollinated so to say that there is a 'Tiger' or a 'Manipur' variety and they are different is doubtful.

I really don't think there is any great difference.

As for the Musa sikkimensis gigantea here is mine, I think you'll agree very red indeed.
[IMG][/IMG]

So if you want a green one, wait until it gets bigger or grow a 'Daj Giant'

Musafied

Thanks for your reply, James (and everyone else!). I mean no disrespect so I hope you take no offense because yours really is a beautiful plant, but it has so much red. I don't know why, but I don't want any red variegation. Thank you for the great picture though.

Sorry for my ignorance, but just so I'm clear, 'Daj Giant' has no striping, even when young?

__________________
oh yeah, I'm sane enough to talk to plants!
~ Dr. Julie

H2O

Here some young daj-giant i got from seeds:

Today (first sunburn & new leaves after inside overwinter), 2 of them:



Of course from seeds, i had lots of variations, from almost no red to some with big red strips.

__________________

griphuz

Looking good! (Y)

Remko.

revensen

Here's a picture of my regular sikkimensis and sikkimensis red tiger. I've germinated a lot of both seeds, maybe i've been lucky but there has always been a big difference in amount of striping. Both are beautiful plants.



Here's some more red tiger images

Musafied

H2O - Perfect! But sad for me that you live in France, otherwise I'd ask if you'd sell me one of your non-striped babies.

revensen - Wow on your pics! That bottom photo is a real knockout, what a great shot!

Thanks bunches, both of you! I'm still seeking one with no striping...

__________________
oh yeah, I'm sane enough to talk to plants!
~ Dr. Julie

RobG7aChattTN

This is about the most red I ever see on any of my sikkimensis leaves:

RobG7aChattTN

Sorry this took so long, but THIS is what my sikkimensis looks like when it gets some size to it. My wi-fi went out and I gave up trying to add this when I put the post of the leaf with the red variegation.

As you can see...no red when it gets some size.

jmoore

Variegated Sikkimensis
[IMG][/IMG]

Shall we call this one 'Siberian Tiger'?