Edible Bananas
Most of these can be shipped. You can purchase them here.
Most varieties will need some leaves trimmed or bent to fit in boxes.
There is a handling fee of $1.50 for each banana plant ordered.
Shipping costs have changed for this year- see ordering information page.

Name	Adult	Plants as of 8/21/09	Description	Price
	Gift Certificates
Bordelon			Ornamental, 9-14 ft, hardy to zone 8 (20F).  Maroon splotches on leaves and maroon on underside of leaves. These are quite tall and may need to have leaves trimmed off for shipping.	$10
Double			‘Double’ is a variety of the common ‘Dwarf Cavendish’, and grows similarly. This cultivar almost always produces two large heads of fruit and can occasionally produce a third. The sweet fruit is highly rated, and it can be very productive.  'Double' will not grow double stalks until second year.  Grows to 7ft,  hardy to zone 8 (20°).	$10
Dwarf Cavendish			The most popular greenhouse banana, will bear bunches with up to 90 bananas, each slightly shorter than the “grocery store” varieties. It will grow to about 8 feet and has a solid heavy trunk. Juvenile leaves will have some reddish-purple markings, but later leaves will be all green.  Hardy to zone 8 (20°).	$10
Gran Nain			‘Gran Nain’ is an outstanding banana variety growing from 6 to 8 feet tall and solid green in color. Very attractive for its landscaping potential and good wind resistance. The ‘Gran Nain’ produces very large heads of delicious fruit. Zone 8-10 (20°)	$10
High Color Mini			Dwarf Cavendish variety. Hardiness: Zone 8-9 (20°).  Mature Height: 2½ - 3½ ft.	$10
Siam Ruby			This is a very new variety, the hardiness is still unknown, as well as if if will give edible bananas.  It's all worth it for the beautiful red/green leaves.  The young plants start out green and get brighter red as they grow older.	Sold out until July
Truly Tiny			One of the smallest bananas in the world, a great container plant.  To 3 ft. The jury is still out on whether they will bear fruit or not.  Either way, a great plant- so cute!	SALE!!!! $7 email orders

Ornamental Bananas

Name	Adult	Plants as of 8/21/09	Description	Price
Basjoo			Long, slender, bright green leaves. The ‘Basjoo’ is the world’s cold hardiest banana. It is hardy planted in ground to -3°.  It is a great landscape plant, it lends a tropical appearance to any situation.  Also does very well in pots and indoors.  12-18ft.  Hardy!!!	$9
Ensete Maurelii			Ensete are one of the most sought after tropical plants. Their distinctive reddish-burgundy coloring in the leaves or mid-veins are spectacular. Ensete looks great in the landscape, on the patio, or as the focal point of a mixed container. They produce a large flower and have an edible root. They are beautifully colored quick growing plants are in high demand!	Smaller plants sold out, Only large plants left
			Maurelii leaf	We also carry larger plants, only sold for pickup at the nursery.
Musella lasiocarpa			This is not a banana, but is a close cousin.  Hardy to zone 6, it has been even found hardy in zone 5 with protection.  While it has a spectacular yellow flower that looks somewhat like a Protea, I love this plant for it's powdery blue leaves.  It's simply a gorgeous plant!	$10

Bananas, especially our dwarf varieties, make good container specimens if given careful attention.

Soil: Bananas will grow in most soils, but to thrive, they should be planted in a rich, well-drained soil. The best possible location would be above an abandoned compost heap. They prefer an acid soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. The banana is not tolerant of salty soils.

Irrigation: The large leaves of bananas use a great deal of water. Regular deep watering is an absolute necessity during warm weather. Do not let plants dry out, but do not overwater. Standing water, especially in cool weather, will cause root rot. Plants grown in dry summer areas need periodic deep waterings to help leach the soil of salts. Spread a thick layer of mulch on the soil to help conserve moisture and protect the shallow roots. Container grown plants should be closely watched to see that they do not dry out. An occasional deep watering to leach the soil is also helpful.

Fertilization: Their rapid growth rate make bananas heavy feeders. During warm weather, apply a balanced fertilizer once a month--a 8:10:8 NPK fertilizer appears to be adequate. A mature plant may require as much as 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of the above fertilizer each month. Young plants need a quarter to a third as much. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plant in a circle extending 4 - 8 feet from the trunk. Do not allow the fertilizer to come in contact with the trunk. Feed container container plants on the same monthly schedule using about half the rate for outside plants.

Frost Protection: Bananas flourish best under uniformly warm conditions but can survive 28° F for short periods. If the temperature does not fall below 22° F and the cold period is short, the underground rhizome will usually survive. To keep the plants that are above ground producing, protection against low temperatures is very important. Wrap trunk or cover with blanket if the plants are small and low temperatures are predicted.   Plants that are in pots should be moved indoors and should not be allowed to be in temperatures that drop under 35-40° F

Pruning Only one primary stem of each rhizome should be allowed to fruit. All excess shoots should be removed as soon as they are noticed. This helps channel all of of the plant's energy into fruit production. Once the main stalk is 6 - 8 months old, permit one sucker to develop as a replacement stalk for the following season. When the fruit is harvested, cut the fruiting stalk back to 30 inches above the ground. Remove the stub several weeks later. The stalk can be cut into small pieces and used as mulch.

Propagation: Propagation of bananas is done with rhizomes called suckers or pups. Very small pups are called buttons. Large suckers are the preferred planting material. These are removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when at least three feet tall, during warm months. Pups should not be taken until a clump has at least three to four large plants to anchor it. When the pup is taken the cut must be into the mother plant enough to obtain some roots. Plant close to the surface. Large leaves are cut off of the pup leaving only the youngest leaves or no leaves at all.

Pests and Diseases: Bananas have few troublesome pests or diseases outside the tropics. Root rot from cold wet soil is by far the biggest killer of banana plants in our latitudes. California is extremely fortunate in not having nematodes that are injurious to the banana. Gophers topple them, and snails and earwigs will crawl up to where they can get continuous water, but these pests do not bother the plant.

Fruit Harvest: Stalks of bananas are usually formed in the late summer and then winter over. In March they begin "plumping up" and may ripen in April. Occasionally, a stalk will form in early summer and ripen before cold weather appears. The fruit can be harvested by cutting the stalk when the bananas are plump but green. For tree-ripened fruit, cut one hand at a time as it ripens. Once harvested the stalk should be hung in a cool, shady place. Since ethylene helps initiate and stimulate ripening, and mature fruit gives off this gas in small amounts, ripening can be hastened by covering the bunch with a plastic bag.