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Plants

silk banana

Musa × paradisiaca L.

Family: Musaceae · Genus: Musa

apple banana

Placenta II High Mulch biomass 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Photo by David J. Stang · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

AAB Silk subgroup, medium-tall (3–4 m). Sweet flavor with distinctive aroma, premium market price. Highly susceptible to Panama disease (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense) — in syntropic systems requires careful soil management and rotation.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Musa AAB 'Silk', Musa AAB 'Maçã'

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Medium
Biomass class
Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
High
Drought tolerance
Low
Waterlogging tolerance
None
Soil pH range
5.5–7
Preferred soil texture
Loamy
Hardiness zones
10–13
Frost tolerance
0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
3–4 m
Recommended spacing
2.5–3.5 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
2–3 years
Time to first harvest
14 months
Productive lifespan
3 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Silk banana takes the High stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High · ≈4 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Avoid planting in soils with history of Panama disease. Well-drained soil is critical — Fusarium thrives where waterlogged. In intercrop, pair with N-fixing fertilizer legumes.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Cut the pseudostem after the bunch is harvested — biomass returns to the soil as mulch. Thin suckers to 1–2 followers per mat; disinfect tools between mats to limit Fusarium spread.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Fruiting months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of silk banana?

The first harvest of silk banana comes around 14 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for silk banana?

The recommended spacing for silk banana is 2.5–3.5 m.

How tall does silk banana grow?

At maturity, silk banana reaches 3–4 m tall.

When does silk banana fruit?

Fruiting of silk banana occurs in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

When does silk banana flower?

Flowering of silk banana occurs in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

What stage and stratum does silk banana occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, silk banana belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🌿 Biomass producer 🍎 Fruit

Propagation

Division, Runners / suckers, Tissue culture

Citations

  1. Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura — Cultivares de banana (waterlogging_tolerance, drought_tolerance)
  2. POWO — Musa × paradisiaca L. (scientific_author, family, genus, external_ids)
  3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Musa ×paradisiaca L. (2762752) (external_ids)
  4. ITFNet — Banana Agronomy (ph_min, ph_max, waterlogging_tolerance, root_system, root_depth, pruning_notes)
  5. Joshi et al. (2023) — A review on adaptation of banana (Musa spp.) to cold in subtropics, Plant Breeding (frost_tolerance_c)

External references

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