Biggest Banana Tree in the World Found in Papua, Indonesia

"We usually do not eat giant bananas. We mostly set them aside for the birds," Hans said to Indonesia.go.id. "These include the 'smart birds'.”

Aside from the giant banans, the forest around Papua Lorikeet include dozens of flowers and shrubs. While the giant bananas are hard to breed since sprouts rarely appear on their tree stumps, birds eat the fruit and seeds and them throughout the Arfak Mountains.

Usually these giant bananas grow in secondary forest on the side of the road in substrate soil. This type of banana can grow in groups or separately, and are commonly associated with Lithocarpus rufovillosus, Musa arfakiana, Musa balbisina and Dodonaea viscos strains.

Known for ages

While the giant Musa ingens bananas might seems novelties for most Indonesians, they were actually collected as a specimen by horticulturists JS Womersley and NW Simmonds in December 1954 in Papua New Guinea.

At that time, the banana was stored as a specimen at the English Kew Herbarium.

Jeff Daniels, a researcher from the International Board of Plant Generatic Resources, began researching the giant banana in Indonesia's neighboring country Papua New Guinea in 1989.

According to his research, this giant banana tree can be found in the western and eastern highlands or mountainous areas of Papua New Guinea. Daniels then patented the results of his giant banana research.

Even though Musa ingens is believed to grow in Papua New Guinea, the giant bananas also thrive in West Papua, Indonesia. But wherever one can find them, they are undoubtedly worth every bite.

(Editor: Rachmawati)

Source:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/05/15/072700278/musa-ingens-pohon-pisang-tebesar-di-dunia-ada-di-papua-tinggi-batang-capai