Banana 'Ice Cream' (Musa acuminata × balbisiana)
The Ice Cream banana is highly regarded as one of the best tasting Musa varieties of all time. This is mainly in part due to the plants light vanilla, ice cream flavor, and creamy texture. The outer skin of the fruit is a beautiful blueish-green. The fruit will maintain it's amazing amazing flavor whether it is eaten raw or cooked! This species is aromatic and described as having a pleasant vanilla fragrance.
This cultivar is cold tolerant, and easily adaptable to sub-tropical and temperate climates! It is fast growing, easily capable of reaching heights of 15-20 ft! Even if Ice Cream Banana freezes back in the winter, it will regrow as long as temperatures don't dip lower than 20 degrees. The 'Ice Cream' Banana cultivar is well suited for containers, as long as it is over-wintered indoors. This plant is especially useful in landscaping for providing shade. It also makes a lovely and attractive ornamental, especially with the unique color of the blue banana fruits.
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.
