Description: This is the real deal Blue Java banana…ya know, the one that actually makes blue bananas! Blue Java is one of the most misunderstood, mislabelled, photoshopped, and hardest to find banana varieties anywhere. In fact, buying a “Blue Java” or “Ice Cream” banana either from online retailers or in a nursery is just about the fastest way to guarantee you aren’t getting a real Blue Java. These places will gladly sell you a much more common Namwah banana plant all day long. This is so prevalent that confusion has even arisen over whether Blue Java or Namwah should rightly be known as “Ice Cream.” It is worth briefly contrasting Blue Java and Namwah, as they are so often confused and both routinely called Ice Cream.The plants can be nearly indistinguishable prior to fruiting for the first timeOne differentiator is how the hands of bananas attach to the rachis. The Namwah fingers connect together into a solid hand that attaches to the rachis whereas the Blue Java fingers each end in a small “knuckle” that connects to the rachis. I have included a picture demonstrating this difference.Mature Namwah fruit are light green and tend to be 4-5 inches long and quite plump. The texture is very dense and chewy, somewhat reminiscent of a Turkish ice cream. The flavor is very sweet and when overripe can get flavors of berry and occasional hints of vanilla. Blue Java fruit does indeed have a blueish hue that fades to light yellow at ripeness. They tend to be slightly bigger than Namwah fruit and are blockier/more angular in shape. The “Ice Cream” moniker probably comes from how light and airy the fruit is - it is just about the least dense banana I have tried. The fruit is actually quite tart and not very sweet even at peak ripeness.Namwahs grow much faster and are sturdier plants. Blue Java is average to slightly above average in its growth rate and has good cold tolerance, though not quite that of a Namwah. Blue Javas tend to lean, especially when supporting a heavy bunch, and may require propping. Blue Java is quite a nice variety that is a must grow for any collector. Its fruit are unmistakable and incredibly unique. As a plant, though, Blue Java is unexceptional apart from the amazing color of its fruit. It doesn’t do anything particularly poorly, but it also doesn’t do anything particularly well. That is to say that if you are looking for an easy, fast growing variety, need something with great cold tolerance, want the tastiest fruit, etc., then there are better varieties. But if you just want to grow a beautiful plant that makes the most conversation-inducing fruit, look no further! A note on buying banana plants: banana plants sold online and in nurseries are notorious for being either off-type mutations or entirely different varieties from what they're supposed to be. I know from experience! (For example: If you buy a plant labeled "Blue Java" or "Ice Cream" from anyone other than a backyard grower who has personally fruited it, there is a 99% chance you will end up with a tissue cultured Namwah.) Sellers who are either unscrupulous or simply uninformed get away with this because it often takes over a year for the tiny plants they sell to bear fruit. I will never sell you a banana pup off of a plant that I haven't personally fruited, so there are no worries about getting an unidentified type! You are buying a well-rooted pup off of one of my mature mats. Keep in mind that most online banana sellers sell frail plants with tiny root systems. Though it is certainly cheaper to ship them this way, it is exactly the opposite of what is necessary for good growth of the plant! It is much better to get a cut-back pup with a large chunk of corm and well-developed root system like the ones I sell. They might not look as nice initially but will rapidly outgrow a tissue culture plant due to their already developed root network. This means you can get fruit many months or even a year faster than if you buy a small tissue cultured plant! Note:-The pup will be freshly separated from the mother plant at the time of ordering.-The plant will be cut back for shipping. Don't worry! They will grow back very quickly!-I provide free shipping to the lower 48 US states. I cannot send bananas to Hawaii.-Local pickup/meetup is always welcome if you're in Central Florida!-If you'd like, I can send instructions for planting/care after purchase.-Please keep in mind that I cannot be responsible for damage due to cold during the shipping process. Please check to make sure that areas near your location are free from freezing weather at the time of purchase!
Price: 69.99 USD
Location: Winter Park, Florida
End Time: 2023-10-04T14:32:01.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Unbranded
Type: Fruits & Fruit Trees
Genus: Musa
Common Name: Banana
Color: Blue
Features: Cold Resistant, Edible, Fast Growing
