How many years after planting does a Japanese banana tree generally bear fruit?

The Japanese banana tree is native to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan; it may grow wild in Taiwan, China, and can be cultivated outdoors south of the Qinling-Huaihe line, mostly grown in courtyards and near farmhouses. So how many years does a Japanese banana tree take to bear fruit?

1. How many years does a Japanese banana tree take to bear fruit?

A Japanese banana tree can bear fruit in one year. Japanese banana is edible; from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, it has the effect of lubricating the intestines and relieving constipation, and is neutral in nature. People with a cold stomach should not eat too much of it, and generally the elderly are suited to eating Japanese banana.

2. How to distinguish bananas from Japanese bananas

1. Look at the appearance

Bananas are curved in a crescent shape, with a short stalk and 5-6 ridges on the peel. The body is oblong, the stalk is short, and when unripe it is green, turning golden yellow when ripe; the flesh is yellowish-white and the cross-section is nearly round.

The Japanese banana is thinner at both ends and thicker in the middle, slightly flat on one side and slightly curved on the other, forming a “circular-segment” shape. Its stalk is longer, the berry is three-ridged, and the peel generally has 3 ridges. The peel of the Japanese banana is grayish-yellow, the flesh is milky white, and the cross-section is oblate. Overall, bananas are large, while Japanese bananas are smaller.

2. Color

Bananas are green when unripe and turn yellow when ripe, with brown spots; the flesh is yellowish-white and the cross-section is nearly round. The peel of the Japanese banana is grayish-yellow, with no spots after ripening; the flesh is milky white and the cross-section is oblate.

3. Taste

Bananas have a rich fragrance and a sweet taste. The Japanese banana is sweet too, but leaves a sour aftertaste.

Japanese banana is also often planted together with other plants to form a landscape. The combination of banana and bamboo is the most common pairing; the two are quite similar in growth habits, regional distribution and appearance and charm, and are known as the ”Two Pure Ones“. The garden cultivation of Japanese banana can be traced back to the Western Han period, but all the way until the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Japanese banana appeared only occasionally in gardens.