Musa itinerans var itinerans Mekong Giant PP 24315
(aka: Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis) Musa xishuangbannaensis (Musa itinerans var. itinerans) is a newly discovered species of cold-hardy giant banana from Yunnan, China. Musa ‘Mekong Giant’ is a seedling selection made by our friend Brian Williams, of Louisville, Kentucky, for its bright reddish-purple trunk in addition to its outstanding winter hardiness in Louisville’s Zone 6 climate for over nine years. Imagine a Musa basjoo on steroids and you get the idea, although Musa ‘Mekong Giant’ spreads from long rhizomes, so allow plenty of room in the garden. Our oldest clumps have reached a maximum height of 18′ tall, but in climates with warmer winters it can reportedly reach 40′.
