Strelitzia reginae - Bird-of-Paradise Flowering

Mine has 1 flower stalk coming up, it will probably bloom in Jan or Feb. Only one, but better than none!

By the way, I've got a few questions to ask. It'd be highly appreciated if you could help me.

My "Musa Basjoo" has flower and fruits now.

Q1. Are they edible? A person on GoY commented on my photo said they should be edible when ripe. But I think I can eat them unripe (if it's edible, of course) because I know some people eat green bananas by cooking them deep-fried (such as tempura) or pan-fried.

Q2. The person also said I should cut off the flower. Is that correct?

Q3. Do I have to chop the entire plant from the bottom after I harvest the fruits?

Thank you very much for your answers to my Qs in advance :-)

Tommymoo:

Yes, one flower is better than none. :>)

Musa basjoo is the Japanese fiber banana. It's edible, but just barely edible when it's ripe. Most people just grow it as an ornamental (it's not too widely grown here in San Diego). Wikipedia says M. basjoo is inedible (which isn't true). I'm not sure how cooked unripe M. basjoo would taste (I'm guessing not so good!).

Here in San Diego we grow so many good eating varieties. My favorites are: 'Mysore'; 'Golden Fingers';
'Ice Cream'; and 'Super Dwarf'. I have 'white Iholena' a Hawaiian variety, which I don't like so much. They always blow over before they ripen.

Here's a photo of my Ice Cream bananas which should ripen soon.

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/281222-musa-ice-cream-ice-cream-bananas/member/Delonix1

Looks lovely in the sunshine. I have devided mine this year, so not expecting a bloom, but both plants have several new leaves.

Milky:

Thanks! Glad to hear your plant is doing so well. My posted plant should be divided as it grows so fast and is so large for this area.

The hot 90ºF (32ºC), sunny weather which lasted all last week is gone now. It's only been around 70ºF (21ºC) during the day and partly cloudy for the last three days. It's suppose to rain tonight (we need rain so badly).

Its freezing here Delonix.....lucky to achieve 10 degrees at midday......and minus's at night......lol

If only i had one that needed cutting back ....Sighhh...
It does look splendid palmate :o))

Milky:

Wow! Freezing temps, already. I'm not sure if I could tolerate freezing temps and high temps of 50ºF (10ºC).

The coldest high-temp I can remember in San Diego, where I live was back in the first week of Jan. 2007...it was 54ºF (12ºC), this was during the coldest weather to hit San Diego in about 50 years. We were freezing to death!!!

Palmate:

It sounds like you need a buy a large Bird-of-Paradise. :>)

This plant will look so much better when I thin it out.

Thanks for the info Delonix!
Do you cut off your banana flower?

Looks fantastic!

Just bought mine indoors, so I expect the blooms to emerge soon............

Meanie:

I hope your plant blooms soon!

It looks like a mess! I didn't expect such a nice comment from you. lol! It really needs a good thinning.