Collection: Banana Trees for Sale

Every banana tree we ship is grown at our Florida nursery in Homestead, where the ground sits in USDA zones 10b and 11. We keep more than 20 banana varieties in stock.

Banana Tree Varieties and Selection

Our banana trees fall into three groups: edible bananas grown for the harvest, ornamental varieties grown for flower and leaf, and cold hardy varieties for growers north of us.

• Dwarf Cavendish. The standard dwarf variety, a Musa acuminata selection at a compact size that suits container gardening.
• Grand Nain. The Chiquita banana, one of our full-size banana plants for open ground.
• Ice Cream (Blue Java). Semi-dwarf, creamy and vanilla-flavored. "Plant came in excellent condition." Arlene Popp
• Gros Michel. The pre-1950s commercial banana. "Both arrived large, healthy, and vigorous." Sorrento Ben
• Namwa Dwarf. Thick-stemmed and wind tolerant.
• Red Dwarf. Bronze leaves and red fruit, at home in tropical gardens and edible landscapes.
• Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain. A cooking banana on a compact frame.
• Truly Tiny. Ultra-dwarf, sized for a bright corner indoors or a florida greenhouse.
• Basjoo, Raja Puri and Goldfinger. Cold hardy varieties for colder ground, and Basjoo returns from the root after a freeze.

Ask us for the full list, or start with the dwarf cavendish banana tree.

Benefits and Features

A banana tree is the fastest way to put resort appeal into a yard. The tropical leaves reach full size in one season, and a single clump of lush green leaves does what a row of exotic fruit trees takes years to do. Ornamental banana plants carry exotic flowers in deep red and purple, and several banana trees are shade tolerant enough for the north side of a house. In an edible landscape the same plant pays twice, since the tropical leaves do the design work and a Cavendish or any dwarf banana hands you homegrown fruit at the end of it. "Arrived healthy and beautiful." Marcia Staples, Red Dwarf

Climate Adaptability and Growing Conditions

Banana trees grow in the ground across USDA zones 9–11, and the hardiest selections hold in USDA zones 8–11 under heavy mulch. In Homestead the variable is not frost but wind, so anything tall gets staked.

Bananas shrug off brief flooding and resent soggy roots for weeks on end, and they have almost no tolerance for drought. Growers further north keep dwarf banana plants in containers and overwinter them in a garage, a bright room, or a heated greenhouse. Cut the plant back, keep it barely moist, and move it out when nights hold above 60 °F.

Planting Instructions and Requirements

1. Timing. Plant your banana tree in spring, at the dormant season's end, once the soil warms past 60 °F.
2. Location selection. Choose full to partial sun, six hours as the working minimum, sheltered from the strongest wind.
3. Soil preparation. Dig wide rather than deep, then backfill with rich, well-draining soil worked through with compost until the bed drains within an hour of a soaking.
4. Depth and spacing. Set the corm at the depth it grew in the pot, and allow eight to ten feet between clumps so each keeps its own light.
5. Initial care. Water it in hard, mound the soil so the corm never sits in a puddle, and hold consistent watering through the first eight weeks.

Growth and Fruiting Timeline

Our tissue-cultured banana plants start clean, which buys disease resistance and a plant that matches its label. Expect nine to fifteen months from planting to flower, then three to four more to mature ripening. Cavendish bananas run at the fast end when sunlight, watering frequency and soil quality cooperate.

The flower opens and each tier behind it sets a hand of fruit down the stalk. That stem fruits once, and while it works it throws suckers at the base. Leave one and the clump carries on without replanting.

"Tree was shipped and arrived quickly. After being planted and fertilized the tree already has new leaves growing out." Kyle Morejon, Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain

Year-Round Care and Maintenance

Banana trees need something from you in every season.

• Spring. Deep consistent watering resumes as growth restarts and monthly feeding begins. Strip the dead leaves left over from winter.
• Summer. Water two or three times a week, feed on the same monthly schedule, and keep pruning light. Check the undersides of new leaves for aphids, mealybugs and spider mites.
• Fall. Taper the water and stop feeding. Cut spent stalks once you have harvested them.
• Winter. For cold protection in a borderline zone, mulch the crown heavily before the first cold night. The top can burn and the plant still returns. Indoors the usual humidity hacks apply: group the pots, mist them, or use a pebble tray.

Every banana tree leaves Homestead under our plant health guarantee. "The plant came in great shape, and it's doing great." Bob Sirignano, Dwarf Cavendish

Expert Growing Tips

Banana trees in containers need a different routine from banana trees in the ground. Use the largest pot you can move, at least 15 gallons for dwarf banana plants, and keep the drainage holes clear, because a potted banana runs out of root room long before it runs out of ambition.

Fertilization strategy changes with the setting. In the ground, give banana trees a potassium-rich fertilizer monthly through the warm season. In a pot, the same feed at half strength every two weeks, since nutrients wash straight out. Work fresh organic matter into nutrient-rich, well-draining soil each spring, since a banana strips a bed fast.

Humidity management is where most growers lose leaf quality. Even in USDA zones 9–11 a banana tree under a porch roof sits in dry air and the leaf margins scorch. Spider mites arriving early are a humidity symptom more often than a pest problem, and aphids and mealybugs follow stressed growth.

Buy tissue-cultured plants, set stakes at planting rather than after the first storm, and keep pruning light.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a banana tree survive winter?

In USDA zones 9–11, yes, in the ground. Further north, grow a dwarf variety in a container and bring it in.

What mature height should I expect?

Two to four feet for the ultra-dwarfs, six to eight for a cavendish banana tree, twelve to fifteen for full-size types.

Do banana trees need a pollinator?

No. Edible bananas set fruit on their own, so one plant is enough.

Can I grow a banana tree indoors?

Yes, given a bright window, warmth, and humidity you maintain on purpose.

Why has fruit development stalled?

Light first, feeding second. A potassium-rich fertilizer on schedule and well-draining soil fix most cases, and spider mites or skipped pruning account for the rest.

Do banana trees need support stakes?

Any tall plant in an open yard does.

Buying Options and Resources

We are a banana tree nursery rather than a reseller, so the banana tree that arrives is one we grew. Order banana trees online for nationwide shipping, or pick up in Homestead and skip transit entirely. Live plants travel with the root ball wrapped and the pseudostem braced, and a dwarf cavendish banana plant handles the trip particularly well.

"Excellent packaging and very fast shipping too!" Susan Dunifon, Double Mahoi

"Planting this in zone 10, in the desert, in late July, outside temperature this day was about 116 degrees. It's looking great." Frank Castaneda, Namwa Dwarf

Not sure which variety suits your yard? Message us before you order.