Latin Name: Musa balbisiana 'Cardaba'
Common Names: Cardava, kardaba
Lifespan: Perennial
Growth Structure: Up to 15 feet
Light Requirement: Full sun
Water Requirement: ***
Description: The cardaba banana originates from the Philippines and is primarily a cooking banana although it can also be eaten raw. They have very large and robust pseudostems that grow up to 15 ft. It takes around 339 days to flower, and 479 days for the fruits to be ready to harvest. Each bunch contains around 150 fruits in 9 hands. The fruits are distinctively larger than saba bananas and have a rounder more pentagonal cross-section. They are typically harvested while unripe since they are used as cooking bananas, but they can be eaten as is if allowed to ripen.