Plant · GBIF taxon 2762680
Cavendish banana
Musa acuminataAlso known as Wild Banana, Dwarf Cavendish Banana, Dessert Banana, Southern Asian Banana
As a wild ancestor to modern commercial bananas, this giant herbaceous plant produces towering pseudostems composed of tightly packed leaf sheaths. Heavy inflorescences emerge from the crown, producing long drooping clusters shielded by dark reddish purple bracts. Seedless cultivars dominate global agricultural markets, making these cultivated clones genetically uniform and susceptible to widespread fungal blights.
TropicalHerbaceousFruiting
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Banana Weevil
- Spider Mites
- Root Nematodes
ThreatsPanama disease (Fusarium wilt), Black Sigatoka fungus, habitat conversion
HabitatsTropical rainforests, forest margins, and agricultural plantations
Life span25–30 years (rhizome mat); pseudostems live 1–2 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderZingiberales
- FamilyMusaceae
- GenusMusa
- SpeciesMusa acuminata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild plants based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Wind Protection: Plant near windbreaks because high winds easily tear the expansive leaves.
- Disease Control: Avoid moving soil around root zones to reduce fungal transmission.
Hybrid Ancestor Xufanc / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Jungle Rebel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative 
Order Relative (c) Philipp, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Philipp · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.