Banana 'Gold Finger (Musa acuminata × balbisiana 'FHIA-01')
Regular price $99.95The Banana 'Gold Finger' (Musa acuminata × balbisiana 'FHIA-01') is an exceptional cultivar known for its resilience, productivity, and especially, its delectable fruits. Developed through extensive breeding programs, this variety is designed to offer both disease resistance and superior taste, making it a favored choice for gardeners and fruit growers alike.
Characterized by its robust stature, the 'Gold Finger' banana plant can reach heights of up to 12-18 feet in optimal conditions. Its broad, lush green leaves create a striking tropical canopy, adding an exotic aesthetic to the landscape. The plant is well-suited to a range of climates but thrives particularly well in USDA zones 9-11, where it can be planted outdoors year-round. In cooler regions, it can be grown in large containers and moved indoors during colder months, making it versatile for a variety of gardening situations.
The fruits of the 'Gold Finger' banana stand out for their aromatic, sweet flavor with a hint of apple and honey. The bananas are medium-sized, with an attractive yellow skin when ripe, and they possess a creamy texture that makes them excellent for fresh eating, baking, smoothies, and desserts. This variety is known for its good shelf life and resistance to bruising, adding to its appeal for both home gardeners and commercial producers.
'Gold Finger' bananas are not only delicious but also nutritious, offering a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and various antioxidants. The plant typically begins to produce fruit within 9 to 15 months after planting, with the potential for multiple harvests in ideal growing conditions.
Cultivation of the 'Gold Finger' banana plant requires full sun to partial shade, regular watering to maintain moist but not waterlogged soil, and protection from strong winds to prevent damage to the leaves. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer can promote healthy growth and optimal fruit production.
Plant Type:
Fruit Tree / Evergreen Perennial Herb
Did you know? The banana plant is actually an evergreen perennial fruiting herb, not a tree! The large ‘trunk’ is actually a pseudostem, which is made of bulky, leafy layers that emerge and wither over time. Banana plants are fast-growing, and prone to reproducing new plants through mini clones known as suckers.
Harvest Season:
Year-round, but most predominantly in the warm summer months. With good care, bananas are capable of producing fruit within the first 15-18 months of planting. It will take 9-15 months before the tree starts flowering and an additional 2-6 months before the bananas are ready to be picked.
(Expect approximately 3-6 months less time from planting to fruit for Banana plants in our XL Pot Size)
Mature Size:
Really varies depending on variety. Some dwarf banana varieties grow only to 2-3 ft where other banana types reach up to 40 ft tall. Most banana plants can be grown easily in containers and overwintered indoors if needed. We recommend a minimum 7 gal. planter size.
Banana plants are fast-growing, and prone to reproducing new plants through mini clones known as suckers.
Soil & Moisture:
Thrives in ample humidity! Bananas like to be planted high on a mound in rich, moist well-drained soil, nitrogen-rich soil, and humid conditions similar to their native areas tropical and subtropical regions. In well-drained soil, bananas can almost never get too much water, sunlight, and nutrients. Water regularly to maintain leaves and promote fruit production.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Fast, Very Fast
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Propagation:
Our bananas are grown from tissue cultures and are capable of fruiting within 1 year.
