First my 'Gran Nain' surprised me with a flower stalk, now one of my dwarf bananas is about to bloom! It's about 3 1/2 feet tall. Not sure what type, possibly 'Truly Tiny'. First pic if the full stand, second pic is the flower emerging.

Exciting! Wish I could grow the in my zone!

I just stare and stare at my Banana 'Ice Cream' willing it to flower and fruit. Is there an age of the plant, diameter of the trunk, or height of the tree when this usually happens? Mine is approx 3- years old and never really allowed to go completely dormant.

ShadyGreenThumb said:I just stare and stare at my Banana 'Ice Cream' willing it to flower and fruit. Is there an age of the plant, diameter of the trunk, or height of the tree when this usually happens? Mine is approx 3- years old and never really allowed to go completely dormant.

It has mostly to do with age, and it depends on the variety. Is it potted? I'd think it would have to be if you are in Kingwood and it's never gone dormant - it would have been hit by a freeze or two (or three) otherwise sometime during the last three years. I'm not sure on the 'Ice Cream' variety in regards to age of blooming, tho. It certainly does look healthy!

Ice Cream Bananas are a smaller variety tree and produce vanilla-flavored small blue bananas. Or so I am told. One is in the ground, but it gets less sun in the summer. I am growing it for foliage as long as it does well in the space. The one in the photo is in a large pot and gets the most sun. Both have been brought into the greenhouse in previous years. We have had very mild winters so far for them. They never totally loss leaves. This year may be different. I expect a hard winter but I am no body, not a weatherman. I just feel it in my bones. The one in the ground/shade is on it's own. The one in the pot might make it in the GH if I feel strong and if there is room. Otherwise, it's on it's own under a large oak tree to protect it.

Just doing some quick reading, Ice Cream banana grows from 12'-15' (some sources say to 18') and flowering between 15 to 24 months. I would imagine that potted the height could be shorter and bloom time possibly longer. Plus, being on the edge of its hardiness zone could possibly delay flowering some too. If they are about 3 years old, as long as the pseudostems don't freeze this winter, maybe you should see blooms next year?

http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Mu...)

It takes a lot of fertilizer when you are growing them outside their native habitat. I have friends here with about a dozen trees and they apply 1 lb of fertilizer to each tree monthly during the growing season. They are rewarded with hundreds of lbs of fruit most of which gets donated to a local food bank.