Central Indiana= Northern Tropics. If you're making any road trips, come on down!

Any idea what city/town it's located in? I'll have to keep it in mind next time I do head that way. I'm 1 mile from Lake Erie, so its probably a pretty far drive unless I'm headed that way. Thanks

We're located in Muncie, Indiana. It's quite a ways from your Lake Erie location though. Maybe someone knows somewhere closer, or I do mail order too.
There are probably some local greenhouses that sell bananas, at least in the spring. I have basjoo, cardaba, williams hybrid, dwarf cavendish, chinese yellow, zebrina, ensete maurelii and a few others. And that's a big selection for this part of the country, for sure. I'm not sure I'm making much money on bananas, but I DO love to watch them grow!
One farm store around here, Rural King, sells basjoo in the spring here. Maybe if they have one up there, they'd do the same.

Island Breeze...what kind are you looking for?

If you're looking for Basjoo, I know of a place with 4+ foot tall plants for about $20.00

~Chills

hi chills
i would love to know where that store is!:)
also in the fig forum you mentioned you got a 5 foot kadota fig? can you also share where from?
thank you in advance
Dan

Yeah Chills, I would love to know where I can get 4 footers. I've looked just about everywhere.

I forgot to mention, yes, I'm looking for basjoos as well as some others. Ensete, Musa Ice Cream, Saba.

Just an update, I ordered 2 ensete, which are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can, however, still use more basjoo.

I'm sorry....

I forgot I had posted here (I'm usually in other forums)

Joe RAndazzo's fruit market on Gratiot in Roseville has had 4 foot tall Basjoo's all summer long. (I've actually considered getting one on and off since I first saw them...I was going to get one two weeks ago, but I bought a fig tree instead)

~Chills

I can try and check them again this weekend to see if they're still there (they had a half-doz when I bought the fig)

Dan....I just noticed you were the poster...Did you see the Basjoo when you were there? They were labeled "banana palms", but the tags on the pots said Basjoo and though I am no expert, they looked like Basjoo to me.

~Chills

Chills-I'd really be thankful if you could check to see if they have any more left. I'd love to get one or two.
thanks

went by today and they are all out of the basjoo for this year.

Sorry bout that.

~Chills

Thats ok. Thanks so much for checking though. Maybe I'll drive by the one in Detroit and check to see if they have any.

I've seen the Basjoo at Vince and Joe's at both locations in Clinton and Shelby. They were very large 6'-10' or taller (but about $49) and sold like hotcakes. They only had them for about 2--3 weeks in May/June.

Many Lowe's and HD are starting to carry the Basjoo and Chinese Fan Palms in SE Mich due to demand by customers. Looks like this global warming thing is catching on here in SE Michigan. I've seen at least a dozen homes with palms or bananas in the Troy Sterling area and a house on Livernois doesn't even winterize and gets the bananas back each year (3 years now).

Which Lowes and Home Depots have you seen them at? I've looked at all of them within probably 20 miles of my house, and haven't seen any. I've been jealous to hear from posters who say stores in Chicago and Kansas carry them, Chicago is also zone 6 and Kansas even colder, yet I haven't been able to find them around here.

Another thing, when you say Chinese Fan Palms, do you mean Chinese Windmill palms (Trachycarpus Fortunei)? If that's the case, I'll have to stock up next spring.

I even inspired my neighbor with my yard full of tropicals. She planted a majesty palm in her yard, she said it was doing terribly indoors by the end of spring, and she saw how well my palms are doing, so she planted it in the ground. I'm surprised to see that it's still standing and looking healthy in the middle of November in Michigan!

In driving home the other day I saw Soliere's nursery (Little Mack in Saint Clair Shores). Seeing the nursery reminded me that earlier in the summer (I'm guessing mid-August) they had Basjoo plants. Their plants were in HUGE pots and had (I'm guessing) overwintered from the previous year. I don't know if they still have them (as it is getting very late for such things), but if you are interested still I could take a drive by and see if they do.

~Chills

That's okay. You don't have to check. I really wouldn't have anywhere to put something that big now. I tried some smaller basjoos in my basement with grow lights, but they started to yellow and brown, so I moved them in the garage with the rest of my potted tropicals. I'll have to keep them in mind for next year though.

Thanks

I understand that in SE Michigan, Vince and Joes will carry them in 2008 and all of the English Gardens will have them in their "pond plants" sections.

Thanks for letting us know. It amazes me that more places don't carry them. If planted in the city of Detroit maybe along the riverfront, which is probably flirting with zone 7, they should be able to make it without any protection. I guess the only problem is that somebody would have to come out and water them daily. That's something I would like to see planted in the landscape along with needle palms, but I guess needles are too expensive, and bananas are too high maintenance in hot weather.