Chiquita Brands International

Chiquita Brands International Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based producer and distributor of bananas and other produce, under a variety of subsidiary brand names, collectively known as Chiquita. Chiquita is the successor to the United Fruit Company and is the leading distributor of bananas in the United States. The company also owns a German produce distribution company, Atlanta AG, which it acquired in 2003. Chiquita was formerly controlled by Cincinnati billionaire Carl H. Lindner, Jr., whose majority ownership of the company ended as a result of Chiquita Brands International exiting a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 19, 2002. The enterprise changed its name to Chiquita Brands and operates with that name to this day.
Chiquita Banana

The trademark logo mascot, Chiquita Banana, was created by Dik Browne, who is best known for his Hägar the Horrible comic strip. 1940s vocalist Patti Clayton was the original 1944 voice of Chiquita Banana, followed by Elsa Miranda, June Valli and Monica Lewis. Advertisements featured the banana character wearing a fruit hat. The banana was changed into a woman in the 1980s
History
Chiquita Brands International Inc. was formed in 1871 by U.S. railroad entrepreneur Henry Meiggs as the United Fruit Company. It was reformed in part by an Italian entrepreneur in Boston when the company changed its shipping practices. In 1970 it became the United Brands Company when it was purchased by Eli Black. He outbid two other conglomerates, Zapata Corporation and Textron, for a controlling interest in the company.[1] Black would later take his own life over a scandal in 1975. In 1985 the company became Chiquita Brands International.

In 1928, thousands of workers were assassinated by military forces in Ciénaga (Colombia). The workers were protesting against the bad working conditions in the company plantations. This episode is known in the history of Colombia as the Masacre de las Bananeras (Banana massacre). Gabriel García Márquez describes in his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude the inhuman impact that had the company in Colombia.
In 1975, an SEC invesitgation revealed that the company had bribed the Honduran President (dictator): Oswaldo López Arellano and Italian officials. The scandal was named Bananagate.

In the 1980s, the company (then known as United Brands Company) was involved in a leading Competition Law case when they were found to abuse their dominant position in the banana and fruit supply markets by the European Commission.
The Cincinnati Enquirer controversy
On May 3, 1998, The Cincinnati Enquirer published an eighteen-page section, "Chiquita Secrets Revealed". Written by Enquirer investigative reporters Michael Gallagher and Cameron McWhirter, the articles accused the company of mistreating the workers on its Central American plantations, polluting the environment, allowing cocaine to be brought to the United States on its ships, bribing foreign officials, evading foreign nations' laws on land ownership, forcibly preventing its workers from unionizing, and a host of other misdeeds.
Chiquita denied all the allegations, and sued after it was revealed that Gallagher had repeatedly hacked into Chiquita's voice-mail system (no evidence ever indicated that McWhirter was aware of Gallagher's crime or a participant). A special prosecutor was appointed to investigate—the elected prosecutor having ties to Carl Lindner, Jr.. On June 28, 1998, the Enquirer retracted the entire series of stories, published a front-page apology, and paid the company a multi-million-dollar settlement. The Columbia Journalism Review reported both $14 million and $50 million for the amount.[citation needed] Chiquita's Annual Report mentions 'a cash settlement in excess of $10 million'. One of the reporters, Gallagher, was fired and prosecuted and the paper's editor, Lawrence K. Beaupre, was transferred to the Gannett's headquarters amid allegations that he ignored the paper's usual procedures on fact-checking in order to win a Pulitzer Prize. Chiquita has not formally challenged any of the claims raised in the original articles.
Payments to paramilitary groups
On March 14, 2007, Chiquita Brands was fined $25 million as part of a settlement with the United States Justice Department for having ties to Colombian paramilitary groups. According to court documents, between 1997 and 2004, officers of a Chiquita subsidiary paid approximately $1.7 million to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, the AUC, in exchange for local, employee protection in Colombia's volatile banana harvesting zone. Similar payments were also made to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), as well as the National Liberation Army (ELN) from 1989 to 1997.[2][3] All three of these groups are on the U.S. State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
On March 19, 2007, Chiquita Brands admitted in federal court that the subsidiary company (which was subsequently sold) paid Colombian terrorists to protect employees at its most profitable banana-growing operation. As part of a deal with prosecutors, the company pleaded guilty to one count of doing business with a terrorist organization. In exchange, the company will pay a $25-million fine and court documents will not reveal the identities of the group of senior executives who approved the illegal protection payments.[3]
Chiquita currently faces serious charges in a lawsuit issued in June 2007. According to the attorney of 173 family members of victims of the AUC militia this could be the biggest terrorist case in history and may put Chiquita out of business. "Terry Collingsworth, a lawyer with International Rights Advocates who is leading the multi-million dollar litigation, said: "This is a landmark case, maybe the biggest terrorism case in history. In terms of casualties, it's the size of three World Trade Center attacks."[4]
Despite reaching a deal with US prosecutors, Chiquita Brands International still may have to face criminal charges in Colombia, which could even include the extradition of some of its current and former board members. Specifically, on December 7, 2007, "the 29th Specialized District Attorney's Office in Medellín called the board members of Chiquita […] to make statements concerning charges for conspiracy to commit an aggravated crime and financing illegal armed groups. The court order mentions Robert Fisher, Steven G. Wars, Carl H. Linder, Durk Jaguer, Jeffrey Benjamin, Morten Amtzen, Roderick Hills (former committee director of Chiquita), Cyrus F. Freidheim (former general director and most recently president and CEO of a large media group), and Robert Olson, former legal counsel. The nine of them, according to the initial data obtained by the Attorney General's Office, knew of the illegal operation through which 1.7 million dollars were transferred to the AUC, a charge to which Chiquita has already admitted and for which the US justice system fined it 25 million dollars
Alleged ongoing workers' rights violations
In May 2007, the French NGO "Peuples Solidaires" publicly accused the Compañia Bananera Atlántica Limitada (COBAL), a Chiquita subsidiary, of knowingly violating what the NGO describes as "its workers' basic rights" and endangering their families health and their own. Allegedly, the banana firm has carelessly exposed labourers at the Coyol plantation in Costa Rica to highly toxic pesticides on multiple occasions. Additionally, the human rights group accuses the company of using a private militia to intimidate workers. Finally, Peuples Solidaires claims that Chiquita, despite a regional agreement between the company and local unions requiring prompt investigation of grievances, has ignored certain union compliants for more than a year
References
^ "Prettying Up Chiquita". Time (magazine). September 3, 1973. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,910767-1,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-22. "In fact, that is a condensed version of what has actually happened to United Fruit Co., famed in the U.S. for Chiquita bananas, but known to generations of Latin Americans as "el Pulpo" (the Octopus). The Talmudist is Eli Black, who in 1970 merged United Fruit into a food-based conglomerate that he was assembling, and has proceeded to change its operations, its image, and even its name, to United Brands Co. The payoff: United Brands has gone from a net loss of $24 million in 1971 to a net profit of $10 million for this year's first half alone. Last year sales rose 13% to nearly $1.7 billion, less than a third of it from bananas."
^ Michael Evans, 'Para-politics' Goes Bananas, The Nation, 4 April 2007
^ a b Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press writer, Chiquita to Pay $25M Fine in Terror Case, ABC News, 15 March 2007
^ Chiquita faces Colombia lawsuit, Al Jazeera, June 7, 2007
^ Extraditions Cut Short, Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective, May 25, 2008
^ Chiquita Indegestible Bananas, Peuples Solidaires, From 7 May to 30 June 2007
[edit] Further reading
Bender, Nicholas (May/June 2001). "Banana report". Columbia Journalism Review.
Frantz, Douglas (July 17, 1998). "After apology, issues raised in Chiquita articles remain". The New York Times: pp. A1, A14.
Frantz, Douglas (July 17, 1998). "Mysteries behind story's publication". The New York Times: p. A14.
Stein, Nicholas (September/October 1998). "Banana peel". Columbia Journalism Review.
Mike Gallagher & Cameron McWhirter, "Chiquita Secrets Revealed," Cincinnati Enquirer, May 3, 1998.
"The Business and Human Rights Management Report—Chiquita Brands International", Ethical Corporate Magazine, Nov. 2004.
Bucheli, Marcelo (2005). Bananas and Business: The United Fruit Company in Colombia: 1899-2000. New York: New York University Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=kUfnWhn6H7gC.
Bucheli, Marcelo (July 2008). "Multinational Corporations, Totalitarian Regimes, and Economic Nationalism: United Fruit Company in Central America, 1899-1975". Business History 50 (4): 433–454. doi:10.1080/00076790802106315.
Bucheli, Marcelo (November 2005). "Banana Wars Maneuvers". Harvard Business Review 83 (11): 22–24. http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=F0511E&referral=2340.
Bucheli, Marcelo; Geoffrey Jones (2005). "The Octopus and the Generals". Harvard Business School Case (9-805-146). http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=805146.
Bucheli, Marcelo, "The United Fruit Company in Latin America: Business Strategies in a Changing Environment", in Jones, Geoffrey; Wadhwani, R. Daniel, Entrepreneurship and Global Capitalism, 2, Cheltenham (UK): Edward Elgar, 2006, pp. 342–383, http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/Bookentry_contents.lasso?id=3844 .
Bucheli, Marcelo (Summer 2004). "Enforcing Business Contracts in South America: The United Fruit Company and the Colombian Banana Planters in the Twentieth-Century". Business History Review 78 (2): 181–212. http://www.hbs.edu/bhr/archives/vol78/vol78-2004summer.html.
Bucheli, Marcelo; Read, Ian, "Banana Boats and Baby Food: The Banana in U.S. History", in Topik, Steven; Marichal, Carlos; Frank, Zephyr, From Silver to Cocaine: Latin American Commodity Chains and the Building of the World Economy, 1500-2000, Durham: Duke University Press, 2006, http://books.google.com/books?id=mnvBYQqpJbQC&dq=from+silver+to+cocaine&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Bucheli, Marcelo, "United Fruit Company in Latin America", in Moberg, Mark; Striffler, Steve, Banana Wars: Power, Production, and History in the Americas, Durham: Duke University Press, 2003, http://books.google.com/books?id=Fv2VH9LGQqoC&dq=banana+wars&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 .
Bucheli, Marcelo, "United Fruit Company", in Geisst, Charles, Encyclopedia of American Business History, London: Facts on File, 2005, http://books.google.com/books?id=KfuAGwAACAAJ&dq=charles+geisst+encyclopedia .
Bucheli, Marcelo, "United Fruit Company", in McCusker, John, History of World Trade Since 1450, New York: Macmillan, 2004, http://books.google.com/books?id=49T1AQAACAAJ&dq=john+mccusker .
Taylor, Gary; Patricia Sharlin (2004). Smart Alliance: How a Global Corporation and Environmental Activists Transformed a Tarnished Brand. New Haven: Yale University Press.
"The Importance of Corporate Responsibility", Economist Intelligence Unit, Jan. 2005.
"Chiquita Brands: A Turnaround That Is Here to Stay", Winslow Environmental News, January 2004.
"The banana giant that found its gentle side", Financial Times, Dec. 2002
'"Chiquita Wins Raves for Outstanding Sustainability Reporting", Greenbiz.com, April 3, 2003
[edit] See also
Union of Banana Exporting Countries
United Fruit Company
[edit] External links
Chiquita Brands International official site
United Fruit Historical Society: This site contains a detailed chronology of the history of Chiquita, biographies of the company's main protagonists, and an extensive bibliography.
Counterpunch, 17 July 2009, From Arbenz to Zelaya: Chiquita in Latin America with video report by Democracy Now!

Exotic Bananas

Banana Plant Descriptions...
The following list of descriptions gives some of the characteristics, and heights, grown in our area, of most of our varieties. Please note that the area of the country and growing conditions such as soil type & pH, temperature, humidity, amount of sunlight, fertilizing practices, amount of water and drainage will effect the size and health of your plants. Follow growing instructions carefully to get them off to a good start. Early care and frequent nutrition produce the best results for your plants and the most satisfaction to you, our customers.
AEAE - (waiting list only) A beautiful variegated green & white plant that also has multicolored fruit. Usually cooked as a plantain, some also eat it very ripe as a out of hand fruit. Ht. 12-16ft.

AFRICAN RHINOHORN - Height 10-12 feet. An unusual plantain that produces relatively few fruit but the size of each can weigh 2-3 pounds and be as long as 12-20 inches or more. The pseudostem has a dark burgundy hue which gives rise to the term some call "African Red". A collectors delight, especially when fruiting. Cold sensitive.


BACCARII— Ornamental banana that grows about 6-8 ft tall. Narrow light green leaves, with a bright orange/red torch inflorescence with green tips. Stunning!

BALBISIANA - The second of the primitive seeded varieties thought to be an ancestor to many modern day bananas and plantains. This hardy banana makes a nice landscape and collector variety. Height about 14-16 ft.

BALONGKAUE - (pronounced ball long coo) is a cooking type which grows about 12 ft. tall. The fruit has a bluish/green outer appearance, with white flesh. Is a very sturdy and attractive plant that can be eaten out of hand when very ripe.

BANKSII - (pronounced bank-see-aye) Also primitive seeded species having long thinnish leaves with light brown coloration on sheaths & lower petioles. Grows about 8-10 ft. Collectors & landscapers like these.

BALBISIANA
A disease resistant variety that bears a seedy fruit but the plant is valued for its use in banana breeding for new and improved banana varieties. Balbisiana is hardy and makes a wonderful landscape plant. Seeds from the fruit sprout readily and grows to a height of 14-18 ft.


BASJOO - This cool tolerant, seeded variety grows about 12 ft. tall, is solid light green and is a fast growing sturdy plant. It frequently sends out rhizomes 2-3 feet away from the corm. It has a golden-cream colored ovate inflorescence making it a very attractive acquisition. Becoming more popular in cooler regions for a tropical appearance.

BRAZILIAN - One of the tastiest of the dessert bananas, in our opinion. The height is 14-16 feet but has Dwarf brother that grows only 7-9 ft. and produces the same superb fruit. A real favorite for appearance and flavor.




BRUNEI - (pronounced brun eye) This ornamental sometimes called "black rose" grows about 12 ft.. The unique dark pseudostem contrasts with the inflorescence of dark red-rose color to be quite stunning. The seeded 2 inch fruit add to the beauty of the plant. very limited quantities

BURMESE BLUE - Although primarily thought of as an ornamental, some people from Burma, Thailand & Laos cook with it. Does not fruit easily occasionally needs pollination to get fruit. very limited quantities


CARDABA - A Philippine cooking variety that is a truly an attractive plant with a bluish hue to the fruit and very white pulp. The fruit is stubby and irregular in shape but can get quite large. Height 10-12 ft.

COCCINEA - (also known as uranoscopus) This ornamental variety produces an erect inflorescence of brilliant red-orange color that lasts for weeks. Height 3-6 ft. Good for containerized growing in filtered light.

CAVENDISH - Both the Dwarf (5 ft.) and Giant (7-8 ft.) varieties produce wonderful tasting fruit as does the others in the Cavendish sub-group. A vigorous grower with wide green leaves. One of the more common grown varieties in the USA.


DWARF NAMWA - Also known as pisang awak and other names through out the world, this group of lady finger bananas produce large sized bunches of sweet, truly delicious, fruit that is prized in Indonesia and all over the world. Usually grows about 9-10 ft although may grow a little taller.

DWARF ORINOCO - Named from the region in South America near the Orinoco river where they grow profusely, they are also called the horse banana or "burro". These angulated cooking bananas are also a tasty treat out of hand when fully ripe. Their versatility make them popular in many regions of the world. Height 5-6 ft. dwarf & 12-14 ft. on the tall.

DWARF & TALL RED - Known by many names in the world, (Cuban Red, Jamaican Red, Colorado, Indio, Macaboo) this very sweet lady finger fruit is most beautiful. It turns "sunset" colors when ripening from dark burgundy to orange, yellow-green and muted colors in between. The full bodied flavor and distinctive sweetness makes it worth the wait of 24 months or more to give fruit. The tall red, with a dark maroon pseudostem can grow 14-16 ft, the Dwarf version grows about 8-9 ft in our area.

DOUBLE - This beautiful Cavendish type has very wide, dark green leaves and produces a full sized fruit. Also called the Mahoi, the second generation produces multiple bunches of fruit, usually 2 but sometimes more. Height 5-6 ft.

ELE ELE - A Hawaiian cooking variety that is known for its very dark pseudostem. Sometimes called the Hawaiian Black, it gets a purplish hue, especially in more acid volcanic type soil. Full sized fruit. Grows about 14 ft. tall.

EBON MUSAK - A rather unique variety in that it has fruit that does not turn yellow when ripe only a subtle color change takes place when the fruit is mature. Watch it closely for plumpness so that it does not become over ripe. The nice sub-acid flavor makes it a delicious treat. Height 10-12 ft.
ENSETE MAURELII- Beautiful ornamental banana-like plant with very large upward extending leaves. Burgundy coloration in the leaves and midribs that can vary, like the heights, depending on light and other growing conditions. Usually propagated by seed, rather than rhizomes, which are very rare.

GOLDFINGER (FHIA-1) - A rapid growing, mostly green plant producing a wonderful tasting, slightly sub-acid, refreshing fruit that gets 6-8 inches long or better. It is a very disease resistant, wind & cool tolerant plant that is easy to grow. In our area the ripening fruit does not get dark yellow, instead gives only a slight color change when mature so check it often when close to harvesting. Height 10-12 ft. This one is a MUST.

FRENCH HORN - This plantain is much favored in Ecuador and the West Indies; used as a staple in their diets. The slightly curved fruit is large and delicious, comparable to the commercial plantains that we know and adore. Height 12 ft.

GIANT PLANTAIN - A taller version of the "Puerto Rican DWARF PLANTAIN". Both producing a superior fruit and commonly used for "maduros" and "tostones", a staple in the Caribbean and Hispanic cuisine. This is the one you find in the super market. Heights 12ft. and dwarf 8 ft.

GOLDEN AROMATIC - A Cavendish type sweet banana that has a fragrant aroma and gold ripe fruit. The full sized fruit produced from this wide leaved plant is a real taste treat. Height 10-12 ft.

GRAND NAIN - The commercial variety that you can buy in the grocery store. The purchased ones are good but when you grow it yourself and see how delicious this banana can taste you wonder what took you so long to try. These full sized fruit ripen rapidly, so be ready. They can give 40-60 pounds of fruit with ease. Height 6-8 ft.

GRAND NAIN-X-SUMATANA - (We just call it the "X") It has beautiful large leaves with maroon under side and splotched maroon and green on the top side of the leaves. Resembles the Zebrina except larger leaves and fuller. Height @ 6 ft.

Haa Haa
A striking plant which bears medium bunches of delicious fruit with orange flesh. A rare form of the Iholena Family. Height 10' to 12'.

HUAMOA - A Polynesian cooking banana that is almost rectangular in shape and packed with flavor. These make wonderful tostones as well as other banana recipes. The large full leaves and fat, rounded fruit make this a great looking plant. Height about 12 ft.


ICE CREAM - A very beautiful, cool tolerant plant that produces a blue/green fruit with pure white flesh. The sweet creamy fruit is very delightful. Height 10-12 ft.


IGCPOCA - One of our newer bananas that gives a plump, sweet delicious light green fruit with a pointed end. A thumbs up in every way. (Pronounce it if you can) Height 10-12 ft.

KOFI - From Papau New Guinea, a member of the Iholena sub group which is a combination cooking-dessert banana that rated highest in tasting tests. very limited quantities

KRU - Brought into this country from New Guinea, this wine colored plant gives fruit with green & red markings that narrows to a point on one end giving it an interesting and beautiful appearance. The fruit must be eaten very ripe to get full flavor. Grows about 12 ft. tall. The Green Kru is the same flavored fruit with out the wine colored markings.


LACATAN - Both the Jamaican and cousin Philippine Lakatan are one of the Cavendish sub-group and produce a similar fruit in shape, texture and flavor. Only the height of the plants differ slightly; the Philippine has more red in the leaf margis and is a little taller. Both produce good sized bunches of fruit that has delicious flavor. Heights (J=12+ft. P=14+ft.)

MAIA MAOLI - This 12-14 ft. tall plant of the Polynesian cooking variety has delicious flavor and statuesque elegance. It is mostly green with slight red colors in the pseudostem giving serious competition to the other cooking varieties. (One of our favorites)

MALACCENSIS - A primitive species, producing a small thin seeded fruit of about 4 inches. Resistant to Panama Disease and Sigatoka. Grows about 8-10 ft. tall.

MANNII - Short, approx. 3ft Ornamental plant having a small pinkish-blue inflorescence. Looks great in clumps adding color to the landscape

MAQUEÑO - N/A AT THIS TIME A cooking banana from Ecuador, has a solid greet stout trunk with chubby 6-8 inch fruit. Height 12 ft. The plant is resistant to sigatoka and other diseases making it a good substitute in countries where this is a commercial problem.

MAURITIUS - A short Cavendish type plant that grows 4 ft. in height and produces a small bunch of sweet full sized creamy fruit. Great for containerized growing or small area.


MONKEY FINGER - A terrific looking plant that produces very large bunches of long thin bananas with slight curving. It truly resembles the elongated fingers of a large monkey hand and hence obtained its name. The fruit is firm and sub-acid sweet giving it a very refreshing flavor. Height 10-12 ft.

MONTHAN - A cooking type from South India. Similar to the Bluggoe or Orinoco in size and versatility. Height about 10-12 ft.

MYSORE - (Height 14-16 ft.) and MISI LUKI (Height @ 10-12 ft.) are 2 of the most popular and delicious lady finger bananas we have tasted. The mysore, from India is an important commercial crop for that area of the world. The Misi, has a very fruity flavor. The shelf life of these delicious little morsels out last any other by several days. They are sturdy and fast growing. Loved by all!

MUSELLA LASIOCARPA - This short, stout, ornamental banana like plant is a prolific grower with tight clustering leaves. It produces a golden-yellow inflorescence emerging from the center & extending upward like a crowned jewel. Flower lasts about a month. Beautiful and Unusual. Approx. 4 ft. tall.

NEHUMBAHOKA - A rare dessert banana that grows about 10-12 ft. tall with a large amount of "chocolate" coloration in the pseudostem. The fruit is plump, at about 5 inches long & narrowed at the tip. It has sub-acid flavor which makes it refreshing.

NINO - This delicate sweet, thin skinned baby banana produces a fruit about 4 inches long. It is a light green plant that grows to about 8-10 ft.

ORNAMENTALS - ORNATAS- Some of several flowering colorful beauties that are a bold addition to landscape or gardens. The erect flower extends upwards through the lush greenery and peeps out with color. We carry the Bronze, (also called Laterita), Dusky Rose, Magenta, Pink Ornata and Red at this time. All magnificent. Heights 5-7 ft.

PELIPITA - A dark green plant that grows about 10-12 ft. tall and produces a cooking banana that is angulated in shape. It is a hardy plant resistant to disease which is why it is used as a progenitor for many other hybrids.

PISANG JARI BUAYA - This hardy dessert variety grows about 8-10 ft. tall with long leaves and a thin pseudostem. The fruit is slender and long with a slightly sub-acid sweet fruit. Rare and unique.

PITOGO - A wonderfully different looking fruit that resembles a fig more than a banana. Its ping-pong ball looking fruit is as delicious as it is unusual. We can't keep enough ahead of the demand. A real conversation piece as well as a special treat. Grows about 10-12 ft. in height.

POPOULU - A 12-14 ft. Polynesian cooking banana with superb flavor. Its short stout fruit and dark green foliage make it a magnificent looking specimen as well as great tasting treat.

PRAYING HANDS - Now here is a real eye popper. The fruit is fused together making each hand look like a baseball mit or hands in the praying pose. When completely ripe it is possible to separate the fingers to reveal a great tasting vanilla flavored banana. A must for the real banana enthusiast. Height 12-14 ft.



PISANG RAJA - A wonderful Indian variety with a yellow-orange flesh and sweet delectable flavor. Once you have tasted this baby you're hooked on this 14 ft. delicacy. Firm and delectable with an unforgettable taste.

RAJA PURI - A very popular sturdy plant originating in India and becoming a favorite around the world. Due to the rapid growth and delicious taste of these 3/4 size fruit as well as cool tolerance they have won the hearts (and taste buds) of thousands.

RED IHOLENA - This versatile variety is not decorative, with the under side of the leaves a burgundy color, but also used for eating fresh, dehydrating and for cooking. Others in the Hilahila sub group of Polynesian cooking bananas include the WHITE IHOLENA (& HA'A not available at this time) that produce fruit that are yellowish from the onset, making it difficult to determine when to harvest. These are devoid of the burgundy coloration but produce the same fruit. All are excellent for a multitude of uses. Heights: Red 10-12 ft, White 8-10 ft.

ROSE - One of our latest acquisitions and a real beauty. The slender pseudostem displays a soft reddish color and grows rapidly. The small fruit are very sweet and delicate. Resistant to fusarium wilt, grows 6-8 ft. tall.

SABA - The "sequoia" of the banana plants with huge pseudostem (range 20"-45" diameter) and heights ranging from 16-20 ft. here, however clients have reported even greater sizes in other growing areas of the country. The wonderful tasting cooking banana makes the best tostones we have ever eaten. A sturdy plant and somewhat cool tolerant. (A must for the collector and those that want BIG)

SUPER DWARF - A real midget banana growing about 3 ft. tall with wide leaves and green coloration. It produces a small bunch of medium - large fruit. Great for containerized growing or small spots in the yard or garden. A real cutie.

SIAM RUBY* - A new member to our collection this year. Has beautiful RED leaves, top & bottom that vary in color depending on the amount of sun it gets. Great for that splash of color in the landscape and gives bananas too. I can't comment on the fruit or flavor as of yet, still awaiting our first harvest. We have great expectations for this beauty.

TEXTILES - Also known as the Abaca and Giant Pisang is a seeded variety that is used primarily for its fiber in the Philippines for making hemp rope. It is disease resistant, grows about 16 ft. in the US & has a beautiful golden inflorescence.

THOUSAND FINGERS - This novelty is as unique as beautiful. When full grown at 10-12 ft. It produces a stalk of tiny round bananas that can continue to make fruit until it touches the ground (sometimes 5 ft. long or more) Mostly used for ornamentation or landscape however the fruit is edible. (If you are patient)


TRULY TINY - a cute and sturdy plant that grows about 3 ft. Tall and produces an edible but small raceme of mild flavored, medium size fruit. A great addition to patios, container growing, or borders.

TUUGIA - An unusual plant in that it produces a full sized, thin fruit that has a slight "s" shape. A fast growing variety with a light green pseudostem and reproduces rhizomes rapidly. Height 10-12 ft.

VALERY - One of the Cavendish varieties that produces a full sized fruit with a creamy texture. A midsize plant good for backyard treats for the family. Height 10 ft.

VELUTINA - This small ornamental, 3-6 ft. is a gorgeous thin leaved green plant that produces a small, hot pink, fuzzy banana that stands erect (australimusa). When it is mature it peals itself back exposing a white seeded fruit just ready for the plucking. Use care if eating, the seeds are like a buckshot and could easily chip a tooth.

VEINTE COHOL* - A dessert variety originating in the Philippine area and having green pseudostem with some brown patches. The small plump fruit (3-4") are soft and sweet. Height about 8-10 ft. Current research shows it to be a cool hardy and rapid to fruit, a real plus in the short summers. This is what you have been asking for, one that fruits fast before the warmth is gone for those short growing seasons!

WILLIAMS - A Cavendish type that produces a full sized fruit with excellent flavor. An all 'round favorite. Grows about 8-10 ft. in height. A popular variety for good reasons.

WHITE IHOLENE
The plant of the White Iholene is light green and covered with waxy flakes of excess chitin that gives it a white appearance. There is only a slight hint of burgundy color beneath the leaf and definite line on only one margin of the bottom of each leaf. Heads of fruit are about 30 pounds consisting of eight to ten hands when well raised. The fruit has a large gradient between the larger fruit of the top hands and the smaller fruit of the bottom hands

YANGAMBI KM-5 - (Sometimes just called the KM-5) An excellent tasting small dessert banana from West Central Africa. It is very disease resistant and sturdy. Height about 12 ft.

ZAN MORENO
A dwarf Cavendish sub type that produces a sweet, creamy great tasting fruit. Height about 5-6 ft.

ZEBRINA - Also called the Sumatrana, Blood (and sometimes the Rojo, although incorrectly) This ornamental maroon & green variegated leaf banana produces a very tiny dark maroon seeded fruit that is cute to look at but not edible. It adds a little color to all tropical landscape. Is especially nice around decks & pools. Height 6-8 ft