Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

Truly Tiny Banana

Truly Tiny Banana

Cuban Red Dacca Banana

Cuban Red Dacca Banana

Double Mahoi Banana

Double Mahoi Banana

Dwarf Cavendish Banana

Dwarf Cavendish Banana

Gran Nain Banana

Gran Nain Banana

Banana Lakatan

Banana Lakatan

🍌 What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

Continued for the previous post🔼

🔥 The most popular edible banana varieties:
  • 🍌 Truly Tiny - is a compact banana variety growing 2-3 feet in pots and up to 5 feet in the ground, perfect for small spaces or container gardening, producing 4-5 inch fruit with a distinctive pineapple flavor.
  • 🍌 Cuban Red Dacca - a vibrant tropical banana variety with reddish-purple, plump, and short bananas that are sweeter and richer in flavor than common yellow bananas, thriving in warm climates and reaching 8-15 feet tall.
  • 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest.
  • 🍌 Dwarf Cavendish - a hardy, vigorous banana variety growing under 5-8 feet, producing large, flavorful fruit with minimal care, making it a popular backyard banana in Florida and one of the most common Cavendish types for hobbyists and container gardens.
  • 🍌 Gran Nain - is the true Chiquita banana, growing under 5-8 feet tall and producing large bunches of fruit, making it a staple of commercial banana production.
  • 🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) - a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.
  • 🍌 Banana Lakatan - a popular Philippine banana cultivar prized for its sweet taste, rich aroma, and firm texture, making it a top choice for dessert bananas.


🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts
  • 🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
  • 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
  • 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
  • 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
  • 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.


Learn about ornamental Bananas in next post 🔽

🛍 Shop Banana varieties

#Food_Forest #Bananas

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Go Bananas - up to 20% OFF Banana Trees!

Now through 4/15 - Limited Time Only!

Banana varieties collage

Banana Health Benefits

Bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition - rich in potassium for heart health, and packed with vitamins B6 and C to boost energy and immunity. They come from fast-growing, easy-care trees that thrive in warm climates or containers. Whether eaten fresh, blended, or baked, bananas are a naturally sweet and tasty treat you can grow yourself!

Ready to turn your garden into a tropical paradise and grow your own delicious bananas? Now's your chance - use our offer below!

A Banana for Every Space and Taste

At Top Tropicals, we've got over a dozen top banana varieties - from exotic ornamental beauties like Blood Leaf and Siam Ruby to edible showstoppers. Edible varieties range from popular, heavy-producing types like Double Mahoi to rare collector favorites like Ice Cream (Blue Java) - the kind you'll never find at the grocery store. We also carry dwarf varieties that grow just 4 feet tall but still produce full-sized fruit - perfect for containers, patios, and small spaces. Collect them all - edible, ornamental, dwarf, rare - and enjoy the fun, flavor, and beauty of growing your own banana grove.

From Collectors to Beginners - We've Got Your Banana

"Growing bananas is like growing sunshine. They bring energy, beauty, and fruit to your doorstep." - said Dr. Richard Campbell, tropical fruit expert and co-creator of the condo mango concept.

Growing bananas is easy, low-maintenance, and budget-friendly. With Sunshine Boosters plant food, these tropical favorites grow fast and can start producing as soon as next season! Whether you live in the South or up North, in a house or an apartment - you can grow your own bananas in the garden, on a balcony, patio, or lanai and enjoy the taste of the tropics at home.

Special Offer

Get instant 10% off all bananas for 1 week only, plus extra 10% OFF sitewide with code below for qualified orders.

Additional 10% off your entire purchase (including any other plants), saving total of 20% on your Banana trees:

GOBANANAS

Min order $150, excluding S/H. Exp. 4-15-25

Hurry, offer ends April 15th!

Go Bananas!

Banana Truly Tiny

Learn More About Banana Varieties:

- Top Ornamental Banana Varieties - Which One Belongs in Your Garden?
- Best Edible Bananas to Grow - Sweet, Unique, and Delicious!
- How Many Banana Varieties Can You Grow? (More Than You Think!)

Sunshine Boosters fertilizers for Banana trees

In the photo above: Sunshine Boosters are the best fertilizers for ornamental (Sunshine Robusta) and edible bananas (Sunshine C-Cibus).

Date:

Why every garden needs a banana tree (or three!) A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why every garden needs a banana tree (or three!)

Bananas

🍌 Why every garden needs a banana tree (or three!)
  • 🍌 Peel this: Banana secrets revealed.

    • The truth about bananas is - Bananas are everyone's favorite snack. Sweet, nutritious, and loaded with potassium. They're great for muscle cramps, post-workout recovery, and quick energy. But did you know you can grow your own bananas, even in a small backyard or container?
  • 🍌Banana Trees (Musa x acuminata) are:

  • 🟡Super easy to grow
  • 🟡Fast-growing and low maintenance
  • 🟡Clumping and self-reproducing
  • 🟡Beautiful and tropical-looking with their big, tropical leaves and showy, exotic flowers

  • 🍌Dwarf varieties fit in tight spaces, and rare types like Red Bananas or the creamy Banana Ice Cream bring flavors you’ll never find at the grocery store. Plus, your own bananas are organic, fresh, and way tastier.
  • 🍌 Start your banana patch today - and enjoy your own homegrown fruit all year long!


🛒 Explore Banana Varieties

📚 Learn more about Banana varieties:

📱Red Leaves, Red Fruit, Real Wow Banana

#Food_Forest #Bananas

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Blue Ice Cream banana youll never find in stores! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Blue Ice Cream banana youll never find in stores!

Blue Java Banana, Ice Cream Banana

🍌 Blue Ice Cream banana you’ll never find in stores!
  • 🔵 The Blue Java Banana, also known as the Ice Cream Banana, is the banana everyone wants - and for good reason.
  • 🔵 First of all… it's blue. Yes, really. When the fruit is unripe, it has a frosty blue-green tint - especially striking in the sun. These short, chunky bananas are only about 4 inches long and grow in beautiful bunches under mauve-colored flowers. The whole plant is a tropical showstopper.
  • 🔵But the real magic happens when the fruit ripens. The blue fades to yellow… and inside? Oh my God - it’s heaven! The texture is soft, smooth, and creamy. And the flavor? Like vanilla ice cream.
  • 🔵That’s how it got the name Ice Cream Banana. And this isn’t just a gimmick - it’s a cold-tolerant, vigorous variety that grows fast, reaches 10-15 feet tall, and produces heavy bunches (up to 60 pounds!) of sweet fruit that you can eat raw or cook with.
  • 🔵 Your store-bought bananas can’t compete with this. Add it to your edible landscape, food forest, or patio garden - this one is a must-have! Grab it while it’s in stock. Or if it’s sold out - hit that wishlist button.


🛒 Explore Banana Varieties

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Bananas

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

What are the most beautiful ornamental Banana varieties and which one should I plant? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What are the most beautiful ornamental Banana varieties and which one should I plant?

Blood Leaf, Musa x sumatrana Zebrina Rojo Banana

Blood Leaf, Musa x sumatrana Zebrina Rojo Banana

Musa coccinea - Scarlet Red Flowering Banana

Musa coccinea - Scarlet Red Flowering Banana

Bordelon, Red Striped Banana

Bordelon, Red Striped Banana

Banana Red Leaf, Musa x sumatrana

Banana Red Leaf, Musa x sumatrana

Musa Zebrina Rojo - Blood Leaf Banana

Musa Zebrina Rojo - Blood Leaf Banana

🚩 What are the most beautiful ornamental Banana varieties and which one should I plant?

Continued for the previous post🔼

❤️ The most popular ornamental banana varieties
  • 🔥 Blood Leaf, Musa x sumatrana Zebrina Rojo - a striking banana variety with green leaves splashed with red, burgundy undersides, and small red fruit, thriving in containers and overwintering well in colder climates.
  • 🔥 Musa coccinea - Scarlet Red Flowering Banana - is a rare, compact tropical banana from China and Vietnam, prized for its stunning red flower bracts with yellow blooms, glossy green leaves, and small ornamental orange fruits, making it a vibrant choice for gardens, pots, or cut arrangements.
  • 🔥 Bordelon, Red Striped - a hardy ornamental banana variety with 10-15' tall stalks, striking red-striped leaves, and red undersides, discovered in Bordelonville, Louisiana, and capable of flowering and producing seeded fruit if protected in winter.
  • 🔥 Banana Red Leaf, Musa x sumatrana - is a striking ornamental banana with large variegated leaves, red stems, and a solid maroon underside, growing 3-5 feet in containers or up to 8 feet in the ground, making it a stunning focal point or tropical backdrop.
  • 🔥 Banana Siam Ruby - a striking ornamental banana with beautiful ruby-red leaves splashed with bright lime green, intensifying in color with sun exposure, thriving in hot, humid areas, and perfect for tropical backdrops or large patio containers.


📚 More about ornamental Bananas:
Musa Zebrina Rojo - Blood Leaf Banana

🛍 Shop Banana varieties

#Food_Forest

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe:
Healthy Never Tasted So Good!

Banana Daiquiri Recipe

Q: What can I do with a lot of Bananas? All three trees I got from you last year produced lots of bananas and I can eat only so much. Any exotic recipes?

A: When we get lots of bananas (which happens every year!), we make banana bread or banana pudding for the whole team. But those are pretty common recipes. Try Banana Daiquiri!

Banana Daiquiri Recipe Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 ounces light rum

  1. tablespoon sugar
    1 ounce lime juice

1/2 ounce triple sec (optional for added depth)
Ice cubes
Slice of lime or banana for garnish>

Instructions:

Prepare the Banana: Peel the banana and cut it into chunks.
Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine the banana chunks, light rum, sugar, lime juice, and triple sec. Add a handful of ice cubes. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a small amount of water or more lime juice to adjust the consistency.

Garnish and Serve:

Pour the mixture into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of lime on the rim of the glass or a small wheel of banana. Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing tropical flavors!

This Banana Daiquiri is not only refreshing but also offers a creamy texture and a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus. It's a fantastic choice for hot days or when you're in the mood for something a bit exotic. Cheers!

Banana Bliss Starts Here

Date:

Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe: Healthy Never Tasted So Good! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe: Healthy Never Tasted So Good!

Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe: Healthy Never Tasted So Good!
🍌 Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe: Healthy Never Tasted So Good!

  • 🍹 Banana Daiquiri Recipe Ingredients:

  • · 1 ripe banana
  • · 2 ounces light rum
  • · 1 tablespoon sugar
  • · 1 ounce lime juice
  • · 1/2 ounce triple sec (optional for added depth)
  • · Ice cubes
  • · Slice of lime or banana for garnish

  • 🍹Instructions:

  • · Prepare the Banana: Peel the banana and cut it into chunks.
  • · Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine the banana chunks, light rum, sugar, lime juice, and triple sec.
  • · Add a handful of ice cubes. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth.
  • · If the mixture is too thick, you can add a small amount of water or more lime juice to adjust the consistency.


🍹Garnish and Serve:

  • · Pour the mixture into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of lime on the rim of the glass or a small wheel of banana. Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing tropical flavors!
  • · This Banana Daiquiri is not only refreshing but also offers a creamy texture and a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus. It's a fantastic choice for hot days or when you're in the mood for something a bit exotic. Cheers!


📚 About Banana from previous posts:

🛒 Banana Bliss Starts Here

#Food_Forest #Recipes

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Go Bananas!
10 good reasons to plant bananas in your garden

Cat with bananas in refrigerator

Adding banana plants to your subtropical garden or plant collection can enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor and indoor space, provide fresh and nutritious fruits, and offer a fun gardening experience with relatively low maintenance requirements. It's a delightful way to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits of homegrown produce.

1. Tropical Ambiance: Banana plants bring a touch of the tropics to your subtropical garden. Their large, lush leaves create a lush and exotic atmosphere that can transform your garden into a tropical paradise.

2. Homegrown Flavor: Growing your own banana trees allows you to enjoy the freshest, most flavorful bananas right from your garden. Homegrown bananas often have a superior taste compared to store-bought varieties.

3. Nutritional Benefits: Bananas are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. By cultivating your own banana trees, you gain access to a nutritious and healthy snack option right in your backyard.

4. Quick Results: Banana plants are known for their fast growth. In subtropical climates, they can produce fruit in as little as one to two years. This means you don't have to wait long to savor the fruits of your labor!

5. Low Maintenance: Banana trees are relatively low-maintenance once established. They require regular watering, but their hardy nature makes them a relatively easy addition to your garden. They are not messy in a landscape.

6. Versatility: Bananas offer versatility in your garden. You can choose from dessert bananas for snacking, cooking bananas like plantains for culinary experiments, or even ornamental banana varieties to enhance your garden's aesthetics. There are so many varieties to enjoy! You can't find this big selection in a grocery store.

7. Sustainable Living: Growing your own bananas reduces your reliance on store-bought produce, contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle. It also minimizes the carbon footprint associated with transporting fruits to market.

8. Educational Value: Cultivating banana plants can be an educational experience for both adults and children. It offers insights into tropical horticulture and can foster an appreciation for gardening and botany.

9. Landscaping Appeal: Beyond their fruit-bearing potential, banana plants add visual interest to your garden. Their unique form and striking leaves make them an excellent choice for landscaping and providing shade in your outdoor space.

10. Resilience: While bananas thrive in tropical conditions, many banana varieties are hardy enough to withstand cooler climates, making them a durable addition to your garden.

Go Bananas!

bananas and banana trees

Date:

Banana cinnamon fritters: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Banana cinnamon fritters: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes

Banana cinnamon fritters

Banana cinnamon fritters

🍴 Banana cinnamon fritters: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes 🍌
  • 🟡Dip banana slices in a light batter, fry quickly, then dust with cinnamon sugar.
  • 🟡Sweet street-food > { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Recipe", "name": "Banana Cinnamon Fritters", "image": "https://toptropicals.com/pics/telegram/2025/9/banana-cinnamon-fritters-quick-n-fun-exotic-recipes-1.jpg", "datePublished": "2025-10-02", "recipeIngredient": [ "2 ripe bananas", "1/2 cup flour", "1/4 cup water (or milk)", "1 tbsp sugar", "1/2 tsp cinnamon", "1/4 tsp baking powder", "Pinch of salt", "Oil for frying", "Extra cinnamon sugar for dusting" ], "recipeInstructions": [ "Slice bananas into thick rounds.", "Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and water to form a light batter.", "Dip banana slices in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown.", "Remove and drain on paper towels.", "Dust with cinnamon sugar and serve warm." ], "about": [ { "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/entity/musa" }, { "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/entity/cinnamomum_zeylanicum" } ], "mentions": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/store/findname/banana.htm", "name": "Buy Banana plants at Top Tropicals store" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/musa.htm", "name": "Banana encyclopedia page" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/store/findname/cinnamonum.htm", "name": "Buy Cinnamon plants at Top Tropicals store" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/cinnamomum_zeylanicum.htm", "name": "Cinnamon encyclopedia page" } ] }

Date:

NEW VIDEO:
How to get variegated vanilla bananas.
Discovering natural banana with seeds

with Fermin Garcia

We got a variegated banana from Thailand, planted it at our farm and started fertilizing with our famous Sunshine Rubusta (featured in our earlier blog: Sunshine Boosters Winter Use - The magic fertilizer in action.

In just a few months, it grew into a massive banana tree - one of the largest we've ever seen! Soon, a flower spike appeared, followed by variegated bananas. As they ripened, they turned yellow and developed a sweet vanilla flavor, with seeds! These are natural bananas, not modified. In today's video, we're showing how we harvested the fruit, tasted it, and discovered the seeds...

We've named this banana Fermin's Vanilla Delight Banana (Musa x paradisiaca). Fermin planted the seeds and we hope to have these plants soon. Add item 6379 to your wishlist and be the first to know when they're ready!

Use Sunshine Robusta magic fertilizer to have your bananas (and everything else) grow like crazy! It is safe to use all Sunshine Boosters year around with every watering.

Sunshine Rubusta and C-Cibus with bananas

Check out different banana varieties we have at TopTropicals - delivered to your door!

Shop Banana varieties

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