Banana Ice Cream / Blue Java Banana

Buy Banana Ice Cream / Blue Java Banana Plants for sale at Advanced Nursery Growers in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Banana Ice Cream, commonly called Ice Cream Banana or Blue Java Banana, is a beautiful tropical fruiting banana prized for its creamy-textured fruit and sweet, mild flavor. The fruit is commonly described as having a smooth, dessert-like flavor with hints reminiscent of vanilla, which is how this unusual banana earned the name “Ice Cream Banana.”

Blue Java produces large tropical leaves and quickly develops into an impressive clump, making it an excellent choice for edible landscapes, tropical gardens, pool areas, and large containers. Young developing fruit can have a distinctive bluish or silvery-green cast before ripening to yellow.

This is one of the better edible banana choices for gardeners who want both tropical ornamental appeal and homegrown fruit.

Plant Details:

• Plant Type: Fruiting tropical perennial
• Common Names: Ice Cream Banana, Blue Java Banana
• Botanical Name: Musa spp., ABB Group, commonly sold as ‘Blue Java’
• Mature Height: Approximately 10–15 ft. under good growing conditions
• Mature Spread: Approximately 6–10 ft., gradually forming a clump through underground rhizomes
• Growth Rate: Fast
• Sun: Full sun for best growth and fruit production; tolerates some partial shade
• USDA Zones: Best suited to approximately Zones 9–11; may be grown in protected locations in Zone 8b with winter protection
• Cold Tolerance: Better cold tolerance than many edible bananas, but foliage and stems can be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures
• Fruit: Medium-sized bananas with creamy flesh and a sweet, mild dessert flavor
• Fruit Color: Young fruit may have a blue-green or silvery appearance, ripening to yellow
• Fruit Texture: Smooth and creamy
• Fruit Flavor: Sweet, mild and dessert-like
• Pollination: No second banana variety is required for fruit production
• Harvest: Timing varies with temperature and growing conditions; bananas grow and fruit most rapidly during warm weather
• Soil: Rich, fertile, moist but well-drained soil
• Water: Regular moisture is important, especially during active growth and fruit development
• Landscape Uses: Edible landscape, tropical garden, specimen planting, screening, poolside planting and large containers

North Florida Growing Note:

Ice Cream Banana can be grown in North Florida, including the DeFuniak Springs area, but customers should understand that fruit production is not guaranteed every year in Zone 8b.

Freezing temperatures can kill the leaves and may kill the above-ground pseudostem. Established plants will often return from their underground rhizomes when warm weather returns.

For the best chance of producing fruit in North Florida, plant Ice Cream Banana in a warm, protected location in full sun, preferably on the south or southeast side of a building or other protected microclimate. Mulch heavily over the root zone before cold weather and protect the pseudostem during freezes whenever practical.

Preserving the pseudostem through winter greatly increases the chance that the plant will mature enough to flower and produce bananas the following season.

Even when winter weather prevents fruiting, Ice Cream Banana makes an outstanding tropical foliage plant and can quickly regrow during North Florida's warm growing season.

Growing Tips:

Bananas are heavy feeders and perform best with plenty of water and nutrients during warm weather. Keep the soil evenly moist but avoid continuously waterlogged conditions.

Mulching around the plant helps conserve moisture, suppress weeds and protect the underground rhizomes during cold weather.

Remove damaged or dead leaves as needed. Once a pseudostem produces a bunch of bananas, that particular stem will eventually die and can be removed. New shoots, called pups, will continue growing from the underground rhizome to replace it.

Cold Weather Tip for North Florida:

Before a hard freeze, protect the root area with a deep layer of mulch. Protecting or wrapping the main pseudostem can also improve the chances of retaining enough mature growth to produce fruit the following year.

Contact Advanced Nursery Growers

Advanced Nursery Growers
1911 McLeod Road
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435

Phone: 850-391-2228
Email: info@advancednurserygrowers.com

Local pickup is available for most plants and trees.

Limited shipping may be available for select trees, liners, and smaller plants. Not all plants or sizes are eligible for shipping. Please contact Advanced Nursery Growers before placing an order that requires shipping so we can confirm shipping eligibility, availability, packaging requirements and shipping cost.

Wholesale

Wholesale availability may be offered to qualified nurseries and landscapers when inventory allows.

Contact Advanced Nursery Growers for current wholesale availability and pricing.