Other than being known as a land full of charms, Papua also shows its natural attraction that you cannot find in other places. It’s called Musa Ingens, the biggest banana tree you may find in the world.
Even though it seems similar to other banana types – or even the one you commonly eat at home – there are plenty of fun facts you should know about this plant.
Find out more about this banana type through this article.
What is Musa Ingens?
Bananas are surely not a stranger for everyone. You can even find this fruit almost everywhere, especially in countries with tropical climates.
But have you heard of the Giant Highland Banana? Well, as its name suggests, the banana is surely the biggest banana species in the world.
Other than that, the banana can only be found on highlands. Currently, people can find quite many of these plants in Papua, around Arfak Highland. Thus, it is safe to say that Musa Ingens comes from Papua land in the first place.
As mentioned earlier, this plant is the biggest banana in the world. It comes with a series of reasons. For instance, the leaf itself can reach 5 meters of length and 1 meter of width.
Compared to other banana types in general, the Papuan’s banana is multiple times bigger.
Also, the weight can be extremely massive, up to 60 kilograms. Don’t worry because this plant is edible as long as it is ripped enough – similar to other banana types.
Facts about the Giant Highland Banana
People agree that Mugens is a rare type of banana. The size is huge and it only grows in a specific area of a country. Despite being the biggest banana, there are many fun facts you need to know about this plant.
Check out the interesting information about Musa Ingens fruit below.
1. Grows in West Papua
The locals also call this banana Mugens – it only grows in West Papua. The tree was initially found by NW Simmonds in 1954 and then being studied further by Jeff Daniels in 1989.
For now, people can only see the Mugens banana in West Papua’s Arfak Highlands. Also, the seeds grow on 100-200 amsl.
Today, you can visit Banfot village of Tambrauw to find the bananas. Well, it is also called apit sepoh or ndowin between locals.
2. The Size is Huge
As mentioned earlier, the trees are huge and gigantic – about 20 meters of height. The banana itself can reach up to 60 kilograms of weight.
While being heavy, the ripped banana may come in 18 centimeters of length. It almost seems like a baby, considering its shape and weight. Thus, it takes about 8 people to eat the entire banana at once.
3. Difficult to Cultivate
Similar to bananas in general, Mugens features a golden-yellow color when it gets ripped. Unlike other bananas, a few of Mugens fruits may appear reddish up to bronze-like colors.
However, the growth rate is quite low – it’s not easy to cultivate this banana type and create a plantation in the first place.
What makes Mugens a bit different from other bananas in terms of cultivating is that the shoots rarely come up around the main trees – which makes the cultivation period get longer.
Found in 1954 in New Guinea, the popularity of this gigantic banana species increases from time to time. According to the authorities, this banana grows voluntarily without any cultivation plant.
However, despite the popularity, Musa Ingens is quite rare – considering no one knows exactly the merits and benefits of this banana type.
Other than that, the government should take further action, such as cultivation for this Giant Highland Banana.
