Can ‘Banana Buffers’ Save California from Wildfires? (opens in new tab)

OK until you wanna get rid of the banana plants.

We had a young couple of tenants in a condo who planted a "love tree" banana plant behind their unit. It grew and grew and grew, producing bananas each year but their love dried out and died. Finally one evening, after she tried breaking the front condo window (he knew she was drunk and wouldn't let her in and wouldn't talk to her) with a very large potted plant, the police were called in and both were toted off and evicted.

The banana tree florished even when we tried to kill it. It always grew back. We compromised by chopping it down each year after it has produced bananas (very tasty).

As long as they don't plant Cavendish. That's pretty much the golden rule here in qld: grow your own but don't endanger the commercial monoculture. Stupidly, they're all cuttings, and all prone to heinous fungal diseases. We're probably on the brink of another worldwide banana crisis like the one we had with gros Michel before Cavendish came along.

I imagine there will be fights over water, but locking water up in bananas may well be better than nut orchards.

I like this fire resistance theory. Even just slowing down the forefront has benefits. Lives, and property could be saved.

Also: stop growing eucalyptus in California!