Clare_CA

I have two bananas from different nurseries that were both labeled as 'Ice Cream.' One of them has fairly blue fruit and is about 8 feet tall and pups quite a bit. Here is that one:



The other is about 7 feet tall and is a smaller mat:





If the first one is a confirmed 'Ice Cream,' then can you tell whether the second is also an 'Ice Cream' or perhaps something else. Thanks:-)

Jananas Bananas

Clare I'm no expert but I have been reading all the debates about Ice Cream or not. What I have been able to ascertain is if the p-stem has pink on it and there is a pink rib when young even if it loses the "pinkness" it is not an Ice Cream I think someone said they were tall Namwah. The genuine ice cream is greenish blue p-stem with very blue bananas. I can't quickly find the thread that explained this because it has been mentioned in so many lately.

The two I bought as Ice Cream have pink, so are not Ice Cream.

Someone pipe in if I have not absorbed this info correctly and to help Clare.

Here is one picture I found where Jack Daw said the bananas on the left are Ice Cream/Blue Java.



~JaNan

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Jananas Bananas

Clare_CA

Thanks so much, JaNan, for that information. I've been away for awhile and am starting to get caught up on reading some threads for information. Those are really blue bananas in the picture! So now I'm wondering if the two bananas that I have labeled as 'Ice Cream' are really 'Ice Cream' at all. I think my 'Ice Creams' do have some pink stems, but I'll have to go check on that.

Jananas Bananas

Your welcome Clare! Please don't take my answer as the be all end all though. I'm still looking for that other picture for you. I think Gabe posted it, but the bananas were equally as blue. ~J

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Jananas Bananas

sunfish

The plants I got that are suppose to be Blue Java from Quail Gardens,have no pink anywhere.The p-stem is green with black blotches,the not Ice cream as more of a yellow/ornange p-stem

Jananas Bananas

Here is Gabe's photo from his gallery identified as 'Ice Cream' (ABB Ney Mannan)



This is not the picture I had in my mind, so I am still looking. Maybe it was Mitchel's or Jon's photo. I'll find it when I am NOT looking for it! ~J

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Jananas Bananas

Clare_CA

Thanks, Tony and JaNan. My p-stem is more yellow/orange also.

JaNan, please don't trouble yourself any longer looking for that pic. I can see that my bananas are nowhere near as blue, but I'm wondering if the color has something to do with climate and growing conditions because mine are kind of blu-ish. I guess I'll have to start calling mine "Not Ice Cream" too:-)

Thanks for the help.

sunfish

My not Ice Cream had the largest fruit of any I've grown and good flavor ,it's worth keeping

Natureboy

I got an Ice Cream from Going Bananas in S. Florida; p-stem is green with white powdery coating when young, bananas are mostly green but have a slight bluish tinge. They look very much like the bananas identified by Gabe as Ice Cream/Blue Java in this thread: Blue Java ?

I suspect the Ice Cream coloring may be dependent to some extent on climate?

Anyhow, my "Ice Cream" is one of my favorite; very cool-tolerant and consistent producer of quality bananas.

Nate

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Praying hands: a good way to thank God and a darn good banana, too!

Current varieties: Dwarf Namwah, FHIA-03 (Sweetheart), White Iholena, Maoli, Orinoco, Manzano (Apple), Praying Hands, Dwarf Brazilian, Pisang Raja, Rajapuri, Ice Cream (Blue Java), FHIA-01 (Goldfinger), Kandarian

palmtree

I guess I cant say for sure if my Ice Cream is an ice cream, but mine has powdery undersides under the leaves. If you rub your finger under the leaf, some of the powder will actually come off. Irs about 9-10 feet tall now and is making its first pup, just to give you an idea of when it decided to pup.

The first pic of the fruit kind of looks like an ice cream to me, but the second looks like Namwah.
Good luck!

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Location: New York City, zone 7b

oakshadows

Also in 9b, how often and how long does it take for the Ice Cream to get to harvest? We are trying to get to the bananas that will fruit in under a year but still produce a decent harvest. Thanks

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Natureboy

It's possible that IC could flower within a year from planting in 9b. Once it flowers, it does seem to take longer than most to mature (if maturity is defined as actually turning yellow on the stalk). I've had bananas on the plant for over 5 months and finally cut them off because they were not getting any plumper. As long as they are on for about 4 months or so and are plump enough, they have always tasted great after harvesting.

IC have proved to be the most consistent producers that I have. Part of this is due to the fact that they are very cool-tolerant. They have never died to the ground in the winter here, even 2 winters ago when we had sub-freezing temps in the evenings for a week. It got down to 24F and the p-stems were fine in the spring. I definitely recommend IC for Central Florida.

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Praying hands: a good way to thank God and a darn good banana, too!

Current varieties: Dwarf Namwah, FHIA-03 (Sweetheart), White Iholena, Maoli, Orinoco, Manzano (Apple), Praying Hands, Dwarf Brazilian, Pisang Raja, Rajapuri, Ice Cream (Blue Java), FHIA-01 (Goldfinger), Kandarian

venturabananas

Clare, both of yours are not the true "Blue Java / Ice Cream", they are both some kind of Pisang Awak cultivar. Like Tony says, that "Pseudo-Ice Cream" cultivar is a good one for Southern California, so be glad you have it.

Here are the key features that distinguish "Pseudo-Ice Cream" from "Blue Java" that I notice and that Gabe has commented on:

Blue Java: fruit are usually quite blue, a little angular, not normally packed really tight on the bunch; bracts sort of a normal dark purple.

Pseudo-Ice Cream (Pisang Awak): fruit are not really blue (maybe a slight tinge) though very powdery, completed rounded in cross section when ripe, and densely packed on the bunch; bracts are more pink than dark purple.

There's been talk about whether the pink borders on the leaves and petioles can distinguish the two (pink on Pseudo Ice Cream). I know Tony's observations of his plants are correct since I've seen them, but since I got my true Blue Java from him, new leaves they've put out have initially had pink borders. It could have to do with the light environment, temperature, or who knows? So, I don't think the presence of a pink border is a definitive characteristic.

Gabe also says the blue color of the fruit is not definitive, though I think it is safe to say that if the fruit are really blue, they are Blue Java; but you can also have fruit that aren't all the blue that are also Blue Java.

I've only eaten the Pseudo Ice Cream and they are very good. Not sure if the true Blue Java is worth all the hype, but I hope to find out eventually. Based on how it fares at Quail Gardens in Encinitas, it is a tough, reliable plant.

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sunfish

Are you seeing any pink on mid -rib ?

caliboy1994

I have a Not Ice Cream too, but I have no idea as to what it is. It obviously isn't Tall Namwah because the petioles are open. I'm also thinking it's dwarf because it hasn't gained a significant ammount of height since I planted it in July, it's only about doubled in height. And it still pushed out over 10 leaves. When I first bought it, it was pretty much all green, but as it matured, the p-stem turned a yellowish pink. Before, Tony suggested that it might be a plantain of some sort. I'll post some pics later.

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Clare_CA

Thanks so much, everyone, for that information. That is really great to know this. They are definite keepers, but I will have to relocate my Pseudo Ice Cream to a different place as it's become too tall for where it is currently. I'm going to wait until all the big stalks flower first. One is just starting to flower and produce fruit now. I think the first clump of fruit has been on the stalk for at least six months. I've just been waiting to see some yellow before I cut it down.

Palmtree, there is definitely lots of powder underneath the leaves on mine too (the first one). I'm not sure about the powder on the second one.

Mark, that is excellent information about the pseudo Ice Cream. Thanks so much for taking the time to write that out for me:-)

Tony, yes there is pink on the midrib of only the newest emerging leaf.

Clare_CA

Here is that bunch at the very top that I harvested the other day. The bananas are creamy and pretty yummy.

sunfish

Are the fruit pretty big ? My not Ice Cream had fruit just as fat as store bought and about 3/4 the length as store bought.

Clare_CA

Yes, I would say they are just as fat as store-bought but half the length. I clearly did not fertilize as much as I should have though so I'm wondering if that is affecting the size of the bananas that I am getting this year. I also don't do pup removal very often.

sunfish

They look just like Namwah in that pic.I never fertilize either