Blue Java - Banana (Cold Tolerant & Hardy)
Blue Java Banana (Musa) or Blue Banana
*Delivery from November 2024
A highly sought after banana plant. Extremely beautiful fruit as it is. You got to be the real collector of rare plants to appreciate it.
Note that this is a real banana plant that will grow into full size plant and fruit and it is not an ornamental banana.
Blue Java Bananas are known as "ice cream bananas" because they have a creamy texture and flavor that's oddly reminiscent of vanilla custard. The bananas themselves are fluffier and creamier than your typical banana.
Blue Java bananas are quite rare and are not found everywhere. They are primarily grown in the Southeast Asian region but are also quite well-known in Hawaii. These fruits are a hybrid of two other kinds of bananas, namely Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata. Interestingly enough, these bananas are cold tolerant and can grow even at temperatures below freezing point. The plant can grow vigorously in NZ conditions and relatively productive.
You only need to buy one to enjoy this rare beauty and once it takes off you will get more pups from it.
Plant Care
- Watering: Maintain consistent moisture, watering deeply especially in warmer months. Reduce watering in cooler months.
- Temperature: Best between 26°C and 30°C. Bananas are not frost-tolerant and require protection or placement in warm climates.
- Light: Full sun is ideal.
- Fertilising: Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer such as 30-10-10 monthly during the growing season to support vigorous leaf growth. Once the plant starts flowering, switch to a high-potassium fertilizer like 15-5-30 to support fruit development.
- Pruning: Regularly remove dead leaves and spent fruit stalks. Cut back the main fruiting stem after harvest to encourage new growth.
- Mulching: Apply heavy mulch to retain soil moisture, provide nutrients, and suppress weeds.
- Pest Control: Look out for pests such as aphids, spider mites, and nematodes. Use eco-friendly pesticides if necessary.
- Flowering and Fruiting: Each pseudostem will fruit once. Fruit typically matures in about 3 to 8 months, depending on conditions and variety.
- Potting: Suitable for large containers, but requires ample space and meticulous care to manage growth and ensure sufficient nutrients.
We ship our plants and garden supplies throughout New Zealand. Due to the increased costs of shipping and packaging, we now apply a minimal delivery charge. After offering free shipping for three consecutive years, we find it necessary to adjust this policy to align with current market conditions. However, we have lowered our prices to help offset this change.
Please note, we do not ship plants or garden supplies internationally from New Zealand. We do export plants and tissue culture materials from our overseas nursery, which requires a minimum order. Please contact us at hello@exoticanz.com to discuss your specific requirements.
Shipping (per plant)
Auckland & Northland: $20
Rest of North Island: $25
South Island: $45
Rural Address: Additional $5
Shipping Garden Supplies
Auckland & Northland: $10
Rest of North Island: $15
South Island: $20
Rural Address: Additional $5
Delivery
- Our plants are available for shipment throughout the year, depending on stock levels. Typical delivery times range from 5 to 7 business days, although they can take up to 10 business days depending on the destination.
- We take extra care in packaging; most of our plants are secured in bespoke inserts and shipped in individual boxes to ensure they arrive undamaged.
- Deliveries are scheduled once a week, typically on Monday. If you place your order over the weekend, we aim to dispatch your plants on the following Monday. This scheduling allows our team to prepare your order thoroughly and ensures the courier has sufficient time to deliver your plants safely, avoiding any unnecessary delays over the weekend.
- All orders are shipped via courier track and trace service (not signature required)
- We cannot deliver to PO Box addresses.
- If you have a rural address, please contact us beforehand to discuss the best delivery options and avoid any potential issues.
Additional Delivery Information
- We dispatch our plants year-round, as most are shipped with soil. During the winter months, we closely monitor weather conditions and may temporarily delay shipments if the weather is particularly severe. Our packing process includes adding insulation when necessary to protect the plants against temperature extremes.
- In summer, we ensure that plants are thoroughly watered before they leave our nursery. Occasionally, we may need to ship plants bare-rooted, particularly when they cannot be comfortably re-potted into smaller packaging for shipping. We will always discuss this with you in advance if your plant needs to be shipped in this manner.
- It's important to note that shipping can be a stressful experience for plants, often due to spending several days in a dark, confined space. While most plants withstand this with little to no stress, some may experience leaf drop. However, they generally recover quickly with some additional care, including proper watering and gradual reintroduction to light after arrival.
