Musa Helens Hybrid
Musa ‘Helen’s Hybrid’ is a banana that was recently discovered around 5,000′ elevation in the plant-rich eastern Himalayan region of Darjeeling, India. Musa ‘Helen’s Hybrid’ is thought to be a hybrid of Musa sikkimensis and the edible Musa ‘Chini-Champa’. Our oldest plants have matured at 15′ in height with green trunks, dusted white toward the tops. The green leaves are occasionally marked with an upper red midrib, but you can consistently count on bright red leaf backs on the new foliage. The fruit is sweet, but seedy…sort of like a cheap Bangkok hotel. Musa ‘Helen’s Hybrid’ hung right with Musa basjoo during our single digit winters in 2013-2015 with no protection.
