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Banana (lemmy.nz)
submitted 11 months ago by mmmm@sopuli.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[-] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 289 points 11 months ago

One single plant, cloned thousands of times. Easily devastated by disease.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 34 points 11 months ago

So they can feed disease too? Is there anything bananas can't do?

[-] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 23 points 11 months ago

Rebound from a viral pandemic, RIP Gros Michel

[-] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Only heard about those via my dad, never got to try one..

[-] teft@piefed.social 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

They aren't extinct, they just aren't commercially viable to grow on large scales any more. A few isolated pockets of the trees survived the blight. A quick web search will turn up someone selling some if you really want to try them but like the other poster said if you've tried fake banana flavor you've tried gros michel.

[-] DakRalter@thelemmy.club 1 points 11 months ago

That's a myth about the flavour. Although TIL they do smell strongly like artificial banana flavour.

[-] CrazyLikeGollum@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

if you've ever had banana laffy taffy you've had the artificially created flavor of one.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 11 months ago

or banana jelly beans.

[-] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 1 points 11 months ago

And I find it preferable to the real thing

[-] tomenzgg@midwest.social 4 points 11 months ago

You can order them from Hawaii (or maybe you have to physically be there).

It's just no longer worth mass producing and shipping any more due to the potential to lose your entire crop.

[-] tomenzgg@midwest.social 3 points 11 months ago

You'd reminded me that I still wanted to try these, someday, and I went looking, again, for if there was an easier means (other than travelling to Hawaii); I found this place that delivers within the contiguous states: https://miamifruit.org/products/gros-michel-banana-box-order. If you had wanted to try one; more expensive, due to the fragility of the crop, but viable.

[-] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Thanks for that, but holy crap that's expensive

[-] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 17 points 11 months ago

That’s only the Cavendish, there are other varieties of banana. I was recently in Hawai’i and got to try an Apple Banana that had been grown there.

[-] XiELEd@piefed.social 9 points 11 months ago

In Southeast Asia we have lots of banana varieties that we regularly eat.

[-] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Picked by slaves.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

just like the previous, gros michael, the cavendish is susceptible to a fungal/bacterial disease. Wild type are pratically resistant, or a different species. but they often have that unslightly seeds.

also WATERMelons, figs, oranges.

all the seeded varieties can hybridize, or can cross pollinate with other plants. oranges, often have to use the wild "trifoliate" orange to grow better by grafting onto it. the trifoliate is pretty unique as its very hardy and cold tolerant, also possess defensive spines.

[-] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

thousands

Millions at least

this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2025
1083 points (98.3% liked)

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