What types of Bananas are you growing.

[Palm crazy]

Here a pic of my banana as it is now…this is way ahead of for this time of year. And to boot it only been in the 60’s here and still this Musa basjoo is growing just fine. Once we get some heat the

leaves will be bigger and will be more upright. Few more weeks and it will look so much better.

[John Case]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

[Kai]

My Musa basjoo just got rid of its winter protection. I don't expect much more freezing temperatures. Spring has finally come and the first signs of growth from the foliageless pseudostem are there. It has come through winter once again and will gain more height and get bigger leaves than last year. This year the basjoo will be awesome!

[aussiearoids]

Yangambie KM3 , Bong , Ceylon and Bluggo '

Dwarf Red Dacca

and lots more ..

[Palm crazy]

Those all sound really good to eat.

The only fruiting banana I can grow is Musa Helen’s hybrid. Thought to be a hybrid of Musa sikkimensis and the edible Musa 'Chini-Champa'. Fruit is sweet but does have some seeds.

Here’s a pic from last summer and was it’s first year in the ground.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Monòver]

My garden is a small banana's forest.

I have: musa super dwarf cavendish,velutina, rubinea,violacea and two musas more that i don't now the name.

And musella lasiocarpa and ensete ventricosum maurelli.

This is my musa rubinea

[gilles06]

I am growing dwarf orinoco with success in my Z9 mediteranean climate...

http://gardenbreizh.org/photos/gilles06/photo-262539.html

[Chris Chance]

I have a few different kinds myself. One of my favorites now is Raja puri. It took snow and frost and came back fast. I'll try to get some pics later today. Also I have Musa black thai,Abyssinian, and another Musa I don't have the species of.

[Ben in Norcal]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

John do you ever get "Ice Cream" to fruit out here? I never have...

[John Case]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

John do you ever get "Ice Cream" to fruit out here? I never have...

Yes sir, once......2007, the year of the incredible heat.......it was fabulous. 75 pounds harvested at once, lots of gifts, bread made, and eating 3 meals a day....deiicious

[Ben in Norcal]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

John do you ever get "Ice Cream" to fruit out here? I never have...

Yes sir, once......2007, the year of the incredible heat.......it was fabulous. 75 pounds harvested at once, lots of gifts, bread made, and eating 3 meals a day....deiicious

I wonder if here is a variety with decent fruit that doesn't require so much heat...

[Hammer]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

John do you ever get "Ice Cream" to fruit out here? I never have...

Yes sir, once......2007, the year of the incredible heat.......it was fabulous. 75 pounds harvested at once, lots of gifts, bread made, and eating 3 meals a day....deiicious

I wonder if here is a variety with decent fruit that doesn't require so much heat...

Is the lack of heat issue unique to NorCal? Meaning do you think it would reliabily fruit in SoCal?

[Sandy Loam]

I am currently growing the following bananas:

- Kandrian

- Saba

- Ice Cream banana

- a couple of others but I can't remember their names

My bananas are still quite young, but two of my neighbours have mature banana trees which have giant bunches of bananas hanging off them when October/November comes round. I will get there eventually.

Some of you seem to be growing ensete bananas ("false" banana). I wish I could grow those (incluidng Abyssinian Banana), but I have tried it and it simply won't work in my wet soil soil with my spidermites around. They also do not seem to tolerate shade well at all.

Hey Floridians -- If you are looking for a good place to buy obscure banana trees, I recommend GOING BANAMAS in Homestead, FL. Touring through there is like driving through a banana ranch with banana trees row on row. The rhizomes are huge. The owner also has an informal self-service tasting room, and I recall at least a dozen+ types of bananas available for sampling there.

[Ben in Norcal]

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java', otherwise known as the 'Ice Cream' banana.

Fruit tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream infused with banana, makes the best banana bread ever!

John do you ever get "Ice Cream" to fruit out here? I never have...

Yes sir, once......2007, the year of the incredible heat.......it was fabulous. 75 pounds harvested at once, lots of gifts, bread made, and eating 3 meals a day....deiicious

I wonder if here is a variety with decent fruit that doesn't require so much heat...

Is the lack of heat issue unique to NorCal? Meaning do you think it would reliabily fruit in SoCal?

Must depend on species as well as location. We get plenty hot here, for a long time - lots of 90+ degree days, and averages around 80 or above from May-October inclusive, really a full 6 months. I wonder if it is the fact that nights cool off that is the issue - we drop into the 50s (on average) even during our summer.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Go to ebay, search California Gold Banana.

That's me.

I fruit these things no matter how cold it gets here in Modesto.

[IHB1979]

Bananas were my gateway plant that led me to palms!

Favorite edibles are Saba, Manzano and Namwah.

Favorite ornamentals are Thai black, Siam Ruby, Zebrina, Sikkimensis red tiger and Bordelon.

[John Case]

Go to ebay, search California Gold Banana.

That's me.

I fruit these things no matter how cold it gets here in Modesto.

Doubtless, this is true! Finding one that isn't an arm an a leg (and isn't already half dead) is the problem....

[Zeeth]

I'm growing 'blue java/ice cream' and 'bluggoe'. The bluggoe are kind of gross tasting but the tree grows extremely quickly.

[Ben in Norcal]

PM sent, Jeff. I don't see any "California Gold Banana" on eBay. I need some!!

[Ben1]

Bananas were my gateway plant that led me to palms!

Favorite edibles are Saba, Manzano and Namwah.

Favorite ornamentals are Thai black, Siam Ruby, Zebrina, Sikkimensis red tiger and Bordelon.

Could you post some pictures of your musa Siam Ruby?

I love colour and the green markings. Unfortunately mine died last winter due to the lack of light. And the red colour wasn't that intensive during the summer as I suppose it to be in your climate.

Thanks in advance

[Sandy Loam]

I could be wrong, but my recollection of the Siam Ruby Banana is that you really have to plant them in a VERY sunny location or else they will not produce the desired colour. They also never become very big, if I recall correctly -- even in a hot climate.

Personally, if you were trying to find a red banana tree, I would recommend Red Abyssinian instead because its shape is more beautiful, even though Siam Ruby is more showy with its stronger red colour. I have also seen them growing successfully in northern Europe --- well, in the north of France, at least.

[Ben1]

Yes you're absolutely right, Sandy. The beautiful red colour only occurs when it is exposed to a lot of sun. Because of the middle european climate I had to keep it in a container. That's why the musa Siam Ruby has only red leaves during the summer when it is warm enough outside and the plant is outdoors. During fall, winter and spring I had to keep it indoors where the leaves turned into ordinary green.

I have an Ensete ventricosum 'maurellii' as well and of course it thrives much better and leaves get much bigger but it's not that spectecular as the Siam Ruby is (IMO).

[Kevin S]

I am growing ice cream banana Hawaiian Apple and a few others . In this photo is banana that just fruited this winter in Fallbrook. I love banana trees gives you the big tropical tree look in just a year. And bananas are the fruit I eat the most one a day.

[Kevin S]

Bananas I am growing in Hawaii. Of course Hawaiian apple, ice cream banana , red and Thai so far.

[SubTropicRay]

Rajapuri

[IHB1979]

Hi Ben1,

I have not been able to grow Siam Ruby successfully since I moved to coastal Florida. Probably a combination of salty air and sandy soil.

However, I did have two grow well when I lived in Iowa. I would dig and move inside after the summer. In my photo below, you can see the small Siam Ruby on the bottom of the picture.

[Ben1]

Hi IHB1979,

thanks for posting your picture. What a beautiful plant!!!

Oh what a pity. I guessed that they would thrive very well in the hot and wet climate of Florida as I read that even the musa Ae Ae grow well in Florida and I supposed it to be even more sophisticated than the Siam Ruby.

Ben

[PalmWarbler]

I started growing bananas last year with Musa Zebrina - which I admit I brought home more for the beautiful foliage than any ideas of fruit. But it grew on me (literally), and I've just recently added 1,000 fingers, Dwarf Red, Ensete Maurelii, Gros Michel, Blue Java/Ice Cream, Manzano "Apple Banana", Siam Ruby and Zebrina to the yard.

FWIW, Ebay Seller Florida Hill Nursery has been a great source for young Musa for me. Considering how fast Bananas grow and the price he sells them at it's a win-win proposition. Several varieties hit my doorstep April 1 and have easily grown 1' to 1.5' already. I'm not affiliated with Florida Hill in any way, just tossing props out there for what has been a good source for me for these as well as colocasia/alocasia, blackberry and figs. Hope it helps someone else as well.

[_Keith]

I am growing 'Bordelon', 'Belle', and 2 local heirloom fruiting varieties of unknown origin. Oh, and that small dwarf red one. And a medium height 6-10 foot pink flowering one. So yeah, I got some, but as to what they are, lol. Never look a gift banana in the corm :-)

[Cikas]

Edible: Fen Ba Jiao, Dwarf Namwah, Pisang Ceylon and Ice Cream.

Ornamental: Basjoo and Thompsonii

[Johnk9]

AEAE

Edited April 29, 2015 by Johnk9

[Johnk9]

musa sikkimensis bengal tiger

Edited April 29, 2015 by Johnk9

[richnorm]

manii and coccinea are my favourite of the ornamentals that I can grow. They laugh at winter, take the wind well and are seldom not in flower.

[MattyB]

The only banana I've ever grown is FHIA-02 AKA Mona Lisa. It's so sweet, tangy, and fruity that I've never wanted to grow another.

[Ben1]

AEAE

Gorgeous plant, John!!!

[Ben1]

I started growing bananas last year with Musa Zebrina - which I admit I brought home more for the beautiful foliage than any ideas of fruit. But it grew on me (literally), and I've just recently added 1,000 fingers, Dwarf Red, Ensete Maurelii, Gros Michel, Blue Java/Ice Cream, Manzano "Apple Banana", Siam Ruby and Zebrina to the yard.

FWIW, Ebay Seller Florida Hill Nursery has been a great source for young Musa for me. Considering how fast Bananas grow and the price he sells them at it's a win-win proposition. Several varieties hit my doorstep April 1 and have easily grown 1' to 1.5' already. I'm not affiliated with Florida Hill in any way, just tossing props out there for what has been a good source for me for these as well as colocasia/alocasia, blackberry and figs. Hope it helps someone else as well.

Yes I know this onlineshop and I spent hours in this homepage ;-)

Wish I could order there...

[Johnk9]

AEAE

Gorgeous plant, John!!!

Thanks Ben

[Tropicdoc]

Planted veinte cohol from going bananas this spring it's supposed to fruit in 6 months probably won't happen this year but hopefully next year. Keith I see a corm trade in the future

[Johnk9]

Albino Banana Tree - YouTube

https://youtu.be/O6dB-ftUwDU

[OverGrown]

I used to grow raja puri, jamaican red, zebrina, ice cream but I only grow pisang klotek now.