Ice Cream Banana Tree

Why Ice Cream Banana Trees?

This fast-growing banana produces fruit with a genuinely different flavor: soft, creamy flesh that tastes like vanilla custard rather than a standard grocery-store banana. It's also one of the most cold-tolerant banana varieties available — while it still needs Zone 8-11 to grow outdoors year-round, it can take brief dips down to 20°F with protection, tougher than most bananas can handle, and thrives in a container anywhere colder.

The tree grows into a substantial, tropical specimen: gigantic lime-green leaves top a stout, sturdy trunk, with the plant reaching 10-15 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide at maturity outdoors. The bananas themselves start out with a distinctive blue-green tint before ripening to yellow — the source of its other name, Blue Java. It's also deer resistant, a real plus if you're planting it somewhere deer tend to browse.

Give it a sunny patio spot, a bright window indoors, or a backyard corner with full sun, and expect your first flower stalk within a couple of growing seasons, with a bunch of bananas ready several months after that. Once that stalk fruits, it dies back — but new stalks regrow from the base, so a single plant keeps producing season after season rather than fruiting just once.

Sizing:

Pot size	Average height
6" / 1 gallon	1 ft.
10" / 3 gallon	1.5-2 ft.
12" / 5 gallon	3 ft.
14" / 7 gallon	4-5 ft.
15 gallon	5-6 ft.

Why Trees.com?

Your Ice Cream Banana Tree spends months growing and hardening off in our nursery before it ever gets boxed up, so it arrives established and ready to keep growing rather than shocked by the move. Because bananas have famously large leaves, some outer leaves may look a little worn or crinkled after shipping — that's cosmetic, not a sign of a struggling plant, and new leaves typically appear within days once it's settled in.

Every tree we ship is backed by our Alive & Thrive Guarantee™, and our Plant Experts are a call away if you have questions about planting, winter protection, or anything else as your tree grows.

Planting & Care

Note: Banana leaves are huge and can sometimes get crinkled in shipping. Simply remove any damaged or worn leaves to stimulate the growth of new leaves. Use them to wrap meat for your next barbecue. During the growing season you will see fresh new leaves appear every few days.

1. Planting: Ice Cream Bananas can tolerate partial shade, but need at least six hours of sunlight a day. Banana Trees don’t like extreme heat, so afternoon shade will be more beneficial for your tree than morning shade. Avoid areas that receive high winds. If you keep it indoors, place your banana tree by a large sunny window.

Once you’ve scouted your planting location, dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the pot and just as deep. Place your tree in the hole, and make sure that it’s level with the surrounding ground and that it’s standing straight up. Gently back fill the hole, tamping down to prevent air pockets and give your tree a long, slow drink of water. Finally, mulch the planting site to conserve water moisture and keep grass and weeds away from the tree.

Note: This product grows best in well-draining soil. When you receive your plant, you may notice small, white beads or rocks in the soil - this medium is added to increase drainage and keep your plant happy and healthy!

2. Watering: Keep your soil moist, but not oversaturated. Water your tree every 2 to 3 days during the summer, and every few weeks in the winter, depending on your climate. Warmer areas that are more prone to drought will require water more frequently. If your tree is in a shady area, it will most likely require less water.

But if you're not sure when to water your tree, simply check the soil about 2 inches down - if the soil is dry here, it's time to water.

3. Fertilizing: Give your tree a well-balanced organic fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Fertilizer will have a recommended dose for the size of your tree on the back of the package. We recommend giving your tree half of that dose for best results.

4. Pruning: Remove any damaged or broken leaves that hang downwards. After your tree produces fruit, trim it back to about 30 inches tall, and let the stem dry out for a week or two. Once the stem has dried, remove it. This will allow new banana tree stalks to grow.