Jason Money

I was recently in Hawaii and found some amazing bananas in a few Farmers Markets in Kauai and Maui. The sellers called them "Ice Cream" bananas. Now I am home in Texas (8b) and want to try to grow the same bananas at home. So I went to the internet and searched to find "Ice Cream" banana plants. I found many varieties are called "Ice Cream", so maybe I ate Blue Java, Maoli or Namwah or something else in Hawaii. Long story short, I want to grow the same delicious bananas I had in Hawaii (pics below and in my gallery). What type of bananas did I enjoy in Hawaii??? THANK YOU ALL for the help.



Pictures of the "ICE CREAM" bananas from one vender in KAUAI farmer's market. All the same fruit.

MANY PICS OF THE SAME FRUIT. ALL THE SAME FRUIT.
















Pictures of the "ICE CREAM" bananas from one fruit stand in MAUI near Hana.

MANY PICS OF THE SAME FRUIT. ALL THE SAME FRUIT.

beam2050

great post. makes me hoongry.

__________________
...................................................

npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

Gabe15

They are Namwah. The real Ice Cream bananas grow in Hawaii, but more and more folks are selling Namwah as 'Ice Cream'

__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Jason Money

Someone suggested I add another picture I have of the "Ice Cream" banana bunch. Below you will see the actual bunch my Maui "Ice Cream" bananas were cut from. See the circled bunch and ignore the other bunches.

Jason Money

Gabe - so if it is a Namwah...can I successfully grow in Texas (8b)? If so any tips?

raygrogan

The bottom pic looks like "apple" (Brazilian).

crazy banana

According to this website https://www.usclimatedata.com/climat...united-states/
you should be able to grow the Namwah variety. And I agree, they are delicious. I have 4 bunches ripening right now.

sputinc7

I agree the last pic is different from the rest, it's probably Hawaiian Apple banana, AKA Brazilian. Namwah and Brazilian are pretty cold hardy, so get both, as both are also quite tasty. TyTaylor lives in Texas and I am sure he will chime in here when he's on and offer you all the help you will need. He successfully grows lots of bananas in Texas 8b.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Tytaylor77

Namwa do great here! The bunch below my name to the left is a big namwa bunch. I live on Lake Toledo Bend and namwa survives I would say 2 out of 3 winters. The real ice cream is even more cold hardy! I have a bunch right now. I have a total of 43 flowers/bunches this year. I have 200 or so plants in the ground not counting pups. The short cycle ones do great!!

Veinte Cohol "VC"
Patupi
Tigua

PM me and I would be happy to help you any way I can! I know a couple guys in Austin who grow bananas!!

Good Luck!!

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

Richard

Expect 2.5 years from pup to fruit with Namwa in the city of Austin TX. There will be die back each winter. Go quite a distance down the river and you'll find more temperate climate.

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

Jason Money

2.5 years is a long road, but I am willing to travel it. As I was telling someone else, before I embark on that long road I should taste a namwah to confirm.

Anyone have a few namwahs I can taste test before planting and waiting 2.5 years to confirm it's the same fruit as Hawaii? Not sure what it would coast, but wiling to pay for the fruit and shipping to Austin.

Thanks,
Jason

Akula

Be aware that there is a dwarf namwah and a tall namwah. I believe I have the tall namwah. The pstem on my namwah has grown from three feet when planted in March this year to twelve feet as of today with huge green leaves and monster thick pstem but no flower or fruit. This is in northwest Florida.

robguz24

The ones you had in Hawaii were Namwahs pretty clearly. If you get a namwah plant it's very likely to be a true Namwah as they're available with many on here growing them and at online nurseries. Also it seems to be that even many other types of bananas sold as something else end up being a Namwah. I've grown out several myself only to discover they are Namwah.

__________________
My micro-farm

Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

Mudturkle

Welcome to bananas.org. I would suggest that you also join Texas Fruiting Plant Growers (Texas Rare Fruit Growers) on Facebook. The regular members are a great bunch of people. We quickly became friends. They have meetings in Austin, Houston, and the RGV. I often go to the Austin or Houston meetings. I am slowly getting into bananas. I don't have as many as Ty Taylor does, nor do I have as much experience. I have about 20+ varieties. Right now at home in the Lake Somerville area (8B) I have Dw. Orinoco, Raja Puri, and Dw. Brazilian fruiting. I'm hoping that my Dw. Namwah will fruit soon. At our place near Sargent TX (9B) I have an Orinoco (tall) which is fruiting, and maybe others but I won't know until I go to cut the grass (soon). I often give away pups at the TRFG meetings and love to trade for bananas I don't have, or tropical fruit such as sugar apple, mangos, starfruit, etc.

__________________
Central Texas Zone 8B and Gulf Coast zone 9B: Raja Puri, Dw. Brazilian, Dw. Orinoco, Dw. NamWah, Dw. Cavendish, Dw. Green?, Dw. Red? Iholena Tigua, Veinte Cohol, Misi Luki, Pisang Raja.

Jason Money

Mudturkle - I will check out the FB group.
Rob - I appreciate the input/feedback.

I am so encourage by this bananas.org website. You all have been great! Glad to be part of this cool place.