Fruit

WINTER BANANA is also called Banana, Flory Banana and Flory. It originated on the David Flory farm in Case County, Indiana, about 1876, and was introduced by the Greening Brothers Nursery of Monroe, Michigan, in 1890. There are a number of strains, including a spur type. The variety Banana Sweet, also called Banana, is a distinct variety. When fruit baskets were popular, Winter Banana was often used as the focus fruit because of its beauty. Large in size and round in shape, the skin is a pale, waxe-yellow with a rosy blush. The skin is shiny, smooth, and greasy with a distinct suture line. The yellowish-white flesh is crisp and juicy with a mild flavor and an aroma, which the pomologist Hedrick described as a "suggestion of musk exclusively the property of this apple." The vigorous tree blooms late and bears young alternatively heavy and light crops. It has a low chill requirement suitable for planting in warm regions. Winter Banana is susceptible to cedar apple rust and fireblight and it bruises readily. It is an excellent pollinator for other varieties, often planted particularly for that purpose. The bark is yellowish-green, and the leaves are broadly folded with indistinct serrations. The mild-flavored dessert fruit ripens in Virginia in late September and early October.