This is the same bunch, only not so close.

Christine

Nice bunch.
I thought the Ice Cream was supposed to have a blue-ish coloring? Do they out grow that before turning yellow? If they did have the blue-ish coloring, I wanna buy a pup from you.
My IC turned out to be a Pisang Awak (I am finding out that a lot of bananas sold as IC are really PA). I currently have fruit hanging off my Namwa and Gran Nain, with my PA, Raja Puri and Manzano all flowering.

DM

That really doesn't look like ice cream bananas to me but maybe it is just how the photo is showing it here. My ice cream always show the blue green coloration. Either way they look really nice! I bet they are delicious.

dangermouse and keiki ~ You both brought up an interesting thought questioning my bananas. I googled ice cream banana and found out that it is also called blue java. I can't say that I noticed any blue on the fruit skin but I wasn't looking for it either. After looking for blue I may have seen a faint blush blush at a certain angle in the shade.

I called Don, from Going Bananas where I bought the plant, during the Leu Gardens (Orlando) plant sale. He said that there are variations of Ice Cream. He buys his plants propagated by tissue culture which may cause some alterations in the plants. He also said that Ice Cream is very closely related to Namwa. It seems that mine is on that end of the range. I have been growing Namwa plants for over 15 years and I can say that this plant is not the same. It grows a little taller and makes a much longer flower stem with a much smaller retained flower "bud". The fruit is white on the outside of the peeled fruit. But, the center is pale orange. Well, whatever it is, I'm pleased with the plant.

Christine

Maxine ~ The fruits take about 5-6 months to ripen. I was fortunate that the plant bloomed at the right time of year (late spring). I have a nearly mature plant in the same clump that is ready to flower. Unfortunately, I won't get mature fruit from that one due to winter coming.

I didn't do anything special to make it bloom. The plants bloom when mature. Besides 8-10-10, I do give them some extra potassium, 0-0-60.

Christine

Hi Christine, being pleased with the plant/fruit is really what it is all about anyways, not so much about the variety name. I see Don at a lot of the plant shows around the area, as well as his home base down in South Florida, when we are passing by. Very nice guy. In fact your IC and my IC are probably the same variety, as we both got them from the same source.

On my attached link, the 12th post of that thread gives a good explanation of Blue Java Ice Cream vs. Pisang Awak Ice Cream.

When my IC bunch get farther along, I will have to compare pictures with yours.

Some day I will get a real Blue Java Ice Cream.

DM

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Java or Pisang Awak

DM ~ I read the posts in the Banana Link. Interesting comments there. AgriStarts is a very interesting place. I was fortunate to be able to attend a guided tour of the facility. Their tissue culture lab is quite amazing. They propagate material given to them so if the plant varieties aren't named right, it's not their fault.

From what I read about the Blue Java, it is described as cool resistant. If that's the case, I'm not going to get one. I need freeze resistant.

Christine