Do you know the variety of banana called apple tree? If you have never seen or tasted it, you will surely wonder why there are two different fruits in its name.
This has to do with the fact that it is a banana that is characterized especially by its acidity and by having a somewhat more rounded and smaller shape than the more well-known species of bananas.
What is the apple banana?
In this article we will talk about the apple banana, telling you about its origin and why it is so beneficial.
Of all the varieties of bananas that exist, the apple banana is one of the most particular, since at first glance you will not believe that you will find yourself in front of a species of this fruit.
The first big difference is its size, being these completely tiny compared to the conventional ones and another is its acid flavor, which stimulates the palate very different from what we are used to with bananas.
This tiny fruit is native to the island of Cuba and its development is known only in certain tropical areas, although a drawback that has been arising for some years is that it is in danger of extinction, specifically due to the amount of pests that invade this fruit and exterminate the plants.
Its characteristic means that this species has been given the nickname of pocket banana. But something very particular is that this simple bite that represents each of these fruits, contains a large amount of vitaminsThese are almost the same as a regular banana, which is six times its size.
It is a very surprising type of fruit, especially for all those who try it for the first time and at the initial bite they think they will find a flavor similar to that of banana.
The acid flavor is the one that will invade us in the first impression, reminding us of the acidity of a green apple. But then we will end up feeling the intense flavor of the banana, with all the sweetness that this type of fruit usually has.
In British areas as well as in the United States, this very particular species of banana is sold under the name Silk Banana., whose translation is Banana de Seda, although we can also find it in other areas of the world such as Guineo Manzana, its greatest place of influence being the entire Caribbean area.
Farming
Surely you thought that when talking about such a small fruit, it would come from a plant that you could easily have in closed places and this is not the case.
The size of the apple banana plant can exceed two meters high, so you should look for an outside place, unless you live in a place where the ceilings are really high.
Like almost all species of bananas, they are the hottest and most tropical areas where this apple banana grows in its maximum splendor. That is why if we want to have it in our garden, this must have this type of climate, especially because surely we will have it outdoors and we will not be able to protect it.
Care
For a correct development of the apple banana in our gardens, we must have a type of substrate that mixes conventional soil with some type of fertilizer organic.
This has to be laid out on a rather sandy textured soil. It is a plant that needs as much lighting as it can receive during the day, also developing correctly in direct exposure to sunlight.
Being a plant that achieves a prominent height, correct pruning is also important to avoid inconveniences. Those seedlings that are taller should be pruned and size and this will ensure that all the nutrients are not wasted in these.
In this manner you will have a much more upright and energetic plant, and we will find suckers that can be used for reproduction or can be discarded.
Now that you know the apple banana, it is good that you know that it is usually used generally for pastries and that its particular flavor will undoubtedly surprise you, this being a different species from the one you can enjoy in your own garden.