Hi I'm new to this site, I found it when I was searching for info on epiphyllums. I bought a banana plant from Home Depot last month. It was labeled 'musa-banana' It has a lot of powder on the stems and on the backside of the leaves. The petioles have a hint of red/pink to them and the leaves are dark green. I was thinking it could be Blue Java (Ice Cream) banana but I'm not sure. The new leaves are a very bright green, almost yellow when they emerge. Any ideas what it could be? Thanks

Welcome to ATP and keep checking back. Someone will be along to ID your banana plant, or ask questions to help ID it. I have bananas, but I don't think I can give a definitive ID. I have an ice cream banana, but it is still small from lack of water. Doesn't quite look like yours. I can tell you that every plant I've had trouble IDing on my own has been correctly ID'd here.

Thank you Sandi! I'll keep checking back here. When I planted it a couple of weeks ago, a few of the leaves got sunburned. I was worried about it at first, but now the newer leaves are more sun tolerant. I've had many banana plants in the past but all of them died. I had a basjoo but last year the heat and drought killed it. I also had an Orinoco, a Rojo banana, and Little Prince. I'm hoping this banana plant survives. Its already put out 2 new leaves since I bought it, and a third leaf is already starting to emerge.

I have monkey fingers, ice cream, red siam, and a few I can't ID. None have ever had bananas, except the red siam. I thought I had lost it, but it rose from the dead after our mild winter. I also have the Chinese yellow banana that isn't really a banana. It has bloomed every fall. Long lasting blooms and quite a conversation starter.
Don't give up and keep checking back!

Wow you have a lot of banana plants. I've seen the red siam before, its amazing that it survived the winter. I had several Chinese yellow bananas but the drought claimed those too lol.

I just posted on the Tropical forum to see if anyone could help you.

Thank you Sandi, I really appreciate it. I would love to find out what variety it is so I know how tall it will grow and if its one of the more hardy bananas like Orinoco.

I have some updated pictures of my banana plant. Maybe someone will be able to ID better?

New leaf is pale, and the back of the leaf looks almost white. The petiole is red/pink


Pstem

Looks a lot like my Golden lotus banana.

Hi Virginiarose, it does look similar your Golden Lotus banana. I had a Golden Lotus banana last year but it died. The leaves were a lot smaller than the banana I have now, and less pointed at the end. Does your Golden Lotus banana have a red petiole?

No I don't think so, but I think it is supposed to have a Golden flower. I have not seen one yet.

I've seen pictures of the golden flowers, I was hoping mine would bloom. The first one I got died from mealybugs and scale, then a friend gave me 6 small plants and those died last year in the drought lol. Today it finally rained and its pushing out its 7th leaf. I wish it would grow taller

I hear this one I have only gets three feet tall. But it is hardy, I just wish it were taller. I will be on the look out for a taller hardy banana. They had some at a local garden center last year but I did not get one.

Don't the flowers also last for months? The most cold hardy banana is basjoo, I had one, but I got scorched even though it was in a mostly shaded area. I read that basjoo is more of a temperate climate banana. The heat is just to intense to grow them here. I had an Orinoco banana, which is another cold hardy species, I think California Gold and Dwarf Orinoco are the hardiest of the edible bananas. This year I've only seen Blood bananas and the banana plant I currently have, which a friend told me was an Ice Cream banana