Banana Plants

Live banana plants grown in Central Florida, propagated from tissue culture rather than divided pups. That distinction is the whole reason to buy banana plants from a grower instead of taking a pup from a neighbor: Panama disease and other soil-borne pathogens travel readily through pup division, and tissue culture stock is what commercial growers use to avoid exactly that.

We grow two varieties. Dwarf Cavendish tops out around six to ten feet, which makes it the practical choice for a patio, a courtyard, or a large container — and its short, thick stem handles Florida wind well. Gran Nain is the commercial standard, reaching eight to twelve feet and producing substantially larger bunches, sometimes sixty pounds or more. If you have the yard space and want serious yield, Gran Nain is the one.

Both grow in USDA Zones 8 through 11 and can flower and fruit within roughly fifteen to twenty-four months of planting given full sun, steady water, and monthly feeding with a high-potassium fertilizer. Bananas are heavy feeders — that last part is not optional if you want fruit.