Gran Nain Banana Tree (Grand Nain) Live Plant - Musa acuminata - Wellspring Gardens - Easy to Grow Starter Plants Great for Nature Lovers & Gardeners - Outdoor Planting in Home, Garden, Patio & Yard

4-21-18I heard about the Ice Cream Banana through a YT video and searched to see if anyone local had 1 for sale, to no avail. I looked on Ebay & Amazon, and I wasn't thrilled about the choices on Ebay. I also wasn't thrilled about the reviews on Amazon though. Some of the prices were ridiculously high at the time too. This seller, Wellspring Gardens, had some of the better reviews, but not the greatest either. I kept in mind that not everyone has a "green thumb", so I should keep an open mind. I placed the item in my 'email me when available list', as it was out of stock at the time. I waited close to a year before purchasing too, even when it came in stock, just because I was hesitant about the seller.I had a notification about the plant decreasing in price and being in stock, which is when I jumped on it. I purchased it March 28th. It's now been about 2 weeks since I received it and planted it temporarily on my windowsill in a quart sized clear cup (so I can see the moisture level). I couldn't transplant it directly outside because we were still getting snow, ice, and frost most mornings. It's also not good to directly transplant a small plant into full sun without getting it acclimated little by little (also called hardening off).I'm in 7a or 6b growing zone here, and not sure if I'll permanently transplant it outside yet because of our brutal winters. Although, there are many people who have banana plants directly planted on their lawns and gardens here and around me, but I'm not sure of their varieties. It very well could be that some are hardier than others.My plant pup came in great condition and packaged quite well. It did come with the "banana fuel" fertilizer, however, I did not use it yet when I planted it in the quart cup. Seeing as it wasn't quite growing season here yet, and this is usually the time to feed plants. I instead used an all purpose organic fertilizer, which is a very slow release. I trust it over other brands, to not 'burn' delicate roots and small plants/seedlings. I have new growth coming in as of the last 2 days, so it seems to be doing good so far. I have only given 4 stars so far, as to give the plant time to mature a little, and this allows me, I think, to give a more accurate review as I update its progress.I bought this from the seller "Wellspring Gardens" & shipped by them, which I feel is important to list this info. I've come across sellers with variances in their items, including knockoffs, even if listed as same brand. I'll post an update with a durability review.***UPDATE***6-14-18 It's been a little over 2 months since I received my plant. I must say, this was a good purchase. I will have to modify the star rating to 5, instead of 4, because I was truly sent a healthy plant. If anything were to change at this point, it would be my fault or on my end (pest, weather, etc).I will admit, even though I consider myself a somewhat seasoned gardener, I did have to play with this plant's requirements.... mainly the watering. What I found is this plant really enjoys thorough waterings and not quite dry in between. We had so much rain in our part of the country, with May having most of its days with precipitation. April was not quite as bad, but surely had inches with each downpour, which is not exactly normal here. I had to add a drain hole to keep my plant from drowning. When I added the drain hole, I raised it about an inch from the bottom. I use this trick to help keep a reservoir of water for my water loving plants and this also keeps them from drowning or remaining soggy and prone to root rot.I took more photos today, as I noticed the great root growth in my clear container. I decided to transplant so it would not become rootbound, but this also became a good photo opportunity for the update. By the way, I have yet to use the Banana Fuel that was included and at this point I think I misplaced it. I just used some more of my slow release organic fertilizer, along with some Azomite dust, at this time of transplant. I know bananas generally grow fast, so hopefully this will aid in health or nutrition for its growth spurt season. So I will end in saying, I highly recommend this plant... from THIS seller.***UPDATE***7-24-18Mostly to update on the exponential growth since the last update about 4 times the size and the root is even poking out at the bottom. I'm amazed, as it's only a few days passed 1 month ago, I transplanted it. I posted 2 more photos, and it looks like I'll have to transplant yet again! Lol.

Plants were well-packaged, with masking-taped moist dirt, and arrived in very good condition. Box said Live Plants in big letters on outside. Trees came 8" tall with three leaves each. Trees have been growing one new leaf every week, and are now up to five leaves each. I would buy from this seller again.Note that these banana leaves seem to be naturally tiger-striped maroon over green. At first I thought they were suffering from fertilizer burn, but after they've grown large, it's clear that the purple-brown patches are on purpose. Obviously so they can hide in the jungle, and not be seen.Would like to see a YouTube on how to plant banana trees properly. Apparently they eat lots of fertilizer.We put two bags of manure cut into the ground under each.Update 1: In tropical Florida, both plants have grown from 8" to 3' tall so far in about 5 months. They are strapping ridiculously healthy. We get hot, baking sun and punishing rainstorms, and they just eat it up. Very very satisfied. I would buy from this vendor again.Update 2: Seven months later, and both plants are 7' tall now. One of them is sending out sword suckers already, its babies are only 6" tall, we're going to wait until the suckers are 2' tall then cut them out and replant them, have a forest of banana trees, woohoo. The banana is apparently a grass, like a bamboo, with a rhizome, and it just grows obscenely fast. They're distantly related to both canna lilies and ginger. The secret seems to be to bury them with enough cow manure fertilizer to kill any ordinary plant, again we cut one entire bag into the sand in a 2.5' hole underneath each shoot, then poured another entire bag into a Valley Forge fort ring about 3' diameter on top of the soil around each planting, to keep rainwater in and give it extras for grow power. Then sometimes we throw dead banana-peel wrappers at the ground in front of it, to encourage it to think about potassium. Hurricane-level watering helps as well, as does baking sun. The one with more sun is taller. These guys are my favorite pets now. Still waiting for the fruit. They really require tropical conditions, it seems.Update 3, Oct '21 We had a cold snap last December, 40 deg F, and lost the 2/3 of the leaves. But the plants kept going. A year an a half later, one is 10' high and one is 8', and they've decided to fruit.The banana bunches are about 3' long and there's about 120 bananas on each tree. But they're all going to come ripe at once. So only around 20 will be useful; maybe the rest can go to a food kitchen. So far each banana is 5" long, you have to wait patiently for them to grow. Did I mention the heavy fertilizer. The trees keep throwing off suckers. I have cut off and replanted two suckers this spring, and now they are 4' and 3' tall, also ridiculously healthy. Wait until the sucker is close to 2' tall, then carefully dig down around it and cut it off from the main tree. A carpenter's reciprocating saw works wonders, and it turns out that it will vibrate and cut through the sand underneath the root. If you don't mind trashing your blade. Of course, only cut off one sucker at a time, so the main tree has time to gather its strength and re-grow. The suckers come back, and I now have two more suckers on each main tree.Apparently it's recommended that you cut the big purple "Eat Me" heart off the end of the bloom-stalk after you get about 100 bananas, as it will keep trying to throw off mini-bananas 1" long, and absorb energy that could be used to make the first bananas fatter.Apparently the main tree is scheduled to die back down to the root after it fruits once, at the end of its second year. So leave at least one replacement sucker for each tree. These are currently 3' tall.These things eat up punishing sun that scorches most other plants. They continue to be ridonculously healthy, not eaten by beetles, aphids, nor fungus. Definitely a warm-weather plant. Very very happy. This is one of the best things I've bought from Amazon in the last 5 years.Edit 2024: We have had bad luck in Central Florida, with a cold-snap coming below freezing one day a year in January. Which kills the banana fruit that sets in the fall, before it gets big enough to eat. But this year one of the plants finally set in the spring. And now in July we have a bunch of about 80 Chiquita bananas that are full-sized, dark green, and getting ready to be ripe. Woo hoo! And each of the originals--with leaves to 10' tall--continues to throw off multiple slow runners, making a small forest that will guarantee replacements when the main shoots die off. The SawsAll is best for taking down a shoot after it dies off and turns completely brown.The 2 tiny pups that got replanted two years ago have not taken off yet, they are only 5' tall. Different location, under an oak tree--maybe they are not getting enough sun. But they are throwing off their own pups slowly as well. At some point there will be a hedge of banana trees on that side.All from two 9" purchases. Central Florida FTW. This continues to be one of the most delightful purchases I've ever made.

More than a little disappointed in this company, as I reached out to them but never received a reply. When I received this plant in was in a plastic bag in a box, no packing material. The first thing I noticed is that two of the three leaves were cut. As if someone had cut off the dead parts of the leaves. That should have been a red flag but I don't know much about banana trees. I have 40 plus household plants, most 3-4 years old so I known sometimes cutting off dead leaves is beneficial to the plant. Within two days the stem was turning black. The plant was obviously dying three days after I potted it. another two and the leaves were gone. I have always wanted a banana tree.

Amazing plant! Arrived in great condition with two beautiful leaves, and me potting in coconut husk mulch was (hind sight is 20/20) probably not best to do. I was persistent and fertilized accordingly. Hence, this plant was slow, but nevertheless it has overcome my oversight. I'm looking forward to the first (biggest) new leaf in a day or two. Bananas in a year or so given that I live up north with a short season 👏 This plant is going to flourish!!! I love it ❤️❤️❤️. Ps. It found a California poppy as a friend in the pot and hope they get along nice. I see notable daily growth. This next leaf will dwarf its healthy sibling, I'd bet money on it.