Bananas

Blimey, how fantastic @noisette47

Wonder if it will now die and be replaced by pups.

 

Oh cheers, @pete. That's certainly knocked the excitement on the head! I love my nana which is three years old now, no pups anywhere and I'm cr@p at germinating banana seed, even if it came true, which I doubt!
It's been a bit warm here recently, but not Ethiopian warm, @PeterS
Next happy event might be flowers on the Passiflora mollissima

 

Do you mean its not normal as they are only grown from seed or set seed themselves?

 

Don't know about montbeliardii specifically, @joolz68, but Wiki says Ensete ventricosum does produce offsets.
Turns out that pete is right too The maurelii pops it's clogs after flowering.
Do you think I could keep it going if I cut off the flower, @pete? No....I don't think so either

 

Well only my thinking, as you normally have to do something drastic to an Ensete to make it pup, they dont, as far as I know usually pup until you chop off its top parts, and split the main corm in some way.
Musa is different and pups freely.

Unless of course it does it itself and flowers, @noisette47
It's a great achievement so I would let it go on and flower, they are pretty cheap and might be an idea to pick one up about now, for overwintering and replacement next year.

 

@noisette47 , can we have some close up pics as the flower develops, please.

And regarding P. mollissima, isn't that one of the so called tacsonia passion flowers?
Which actually like cool growing conditions.

 

They might be cheap and freely available in the UK, @pete, but this is France! If it's not edible, you don't need it As for an 'achievement' I'm not guilty! It was a mild winter and the nana was wrapped in it's usual overcoat of fleece and roof insulation, so the pseudostem stayed firm at about 2m and started growing again in March. Can't imagine life without it, now I'll take photos of it but with the proviso that if it doesn't pup afterwards, you send me a cheapie from B&Q
The passionflower does seem to be suffering in the sun, so will plant it out somewhere shadier and see what happens.

 

yep, I'll send you one should it not pup.

 

What an angel! If ever you need any Ipomoea indica or Mandevilla sauveolens, say the word

 

I've got an Indica and I've never managed to get a mandevilla through the winter, so your new Marelli is looking a bit dodgy

 

Eeeek! What about a nice variegated Canna with apricot flowers? Think it's called Stuttgart...

 

Ooo yeah now that sounds good, I've seen pics of Stuttgart.

 

It's pretty and hardier than it's reputation suggests. I give it a good mulch of shredded Arundo donax and it's fine through the winter. PM me your address and I'll send you some as a sign of forgiveness that you've condemned my poor nana to death!

 

I went in B@Q today, not a sign of a marelli, I do know where I can get one though.

 

Bless you! No panic, though. Hopefully mine will throw up some offsets If the worst comes to the worst, I'll hack the remains into sections to encourage it to pup. No chance of digging the whole plant out, it's over a metre in diameter!
Had a look at the flower bud today, but it's not changed.
@jules68 Did you pluck up the courage to detach the pups from your montbeliardii?