ð Banana Plant — āļ้āļāļāļĨ้āļ§āļĒ (Dton Gluay): The One-Plant Pantry of Our Hua Hin Garden
Executive Summary The banana plant, or āļ้āļāļāļĨ้āļ§āļĒ (dton gluay) in Thai , is one of the most generous plants you can grow in a tropical garden — every part of it earns its place. Botanically known as Musa × paradisiaca , it's technically a giant herb rather than a true tree, built from tightly rolled leaf sheaths instead of woody bark. In our organic Hua Hin garden we grow several Thai varieties side by side — sweet Kluai Khai (Lady Finger), all-purpose Kluai Nam Wa, and the hardy local Karen banana — and harvest three things from a single plant: the fruit, the purple-red hua plee blossom, and the broad leaves used for wrapping Thai desserts. Fast-growing, low-maintenance, and endlessly useful in the kitchen, it's a true backbone plant for any home garden in the tropics. Organic Fruit Trees and Tropical Fruits in Hua Hin A one-plant pantry for the tropical garden If you only had room for one plant in a tropical garden, the banana would make a strong case for itself. Walk throug...