With dozens of banana varieties available, choosing the right one comes down to matching a variety's size, cold tolerance, and flavor to your yard. Here's a quick rundown of eight popular types for Florida gardens.
- Blue Java
Known as the "ice cream banana" for its sweet, custard-like flavor. A large plant, 15 to 18 feet, with moderate cold hardiness and a flavor many growers consider the best of any banana.
2. Namwah
Also sold as an ice cream banana, Namwah is slightly less rich than Blue Java but more cold-hardy and more compact, 10 to 14 feet, with reliable, plump fruit.
3. Dwarf Cavendish
The classic grocery-store banana type, grown as a compact 6 to 8 foot plant well suited to smaller yards and even large containers. Reliable, mild, sweet fruit.
4. Grand Nain
A slightly taller Cavendish-type variety, 8 to 10 feet, known for producing large, well-flavored bunches; a favorite where more space is available.
5. Raja Puri
A cold-hardy, compact variety, 6 to 8 feet, popular in North Florida for handling cooler winters better than many types, with sweet, slightly tangy fruit.
6. Orinoco
Also called a "horn plantain," Orinoco is a very cold-hardy, vigorous variety, 10 to 12 feet, whose fruit is often cooked like a plantain when green but sweetens if allowed to ripen fully.
7. Truly Tiny
A genuinely dwarf variety, often staying under 4 feet, making it one of the few banana types practical for a large container or a very small yard. Still produces full-sized, sweet fruit.
8. Musa Basjoo (Japanese Fiddle Banana)
Grown more for its dramatic tropical foliage and exceptional cold hardiness than for fruit, since it rarely produces edible bananas outside tropical climates. A good choice if you want the look of a banana grove in a colder part of Florida.
Which Should You Choose?
For classic dessert flavor, Blue Java and Namwah are the top picks, with Namwah being the more cold-tolerant and compact of the two. For small spaces, Truly Tiny or Dwarf Cavendish are your best bets. For North Florida's cooler winters, Raja Puri and Orinoco handle cold snaps especially well. And if you want lush tropical foliage without worrying about fruit, Musa Basjoo delivers the look with the best cold hardiness of the group.
Browse our full selection of banana trees for sale to find the variety that fits your space, climate, and taste.
Blue Java and Namwah are the two most popular picks; see our head-to-head Blue Java vs Namwah breakdown for a closer look. Once you've chosen a variety, our banana tree care guide walks through planting, watering, and the full harvest timeline.
Just brought one home? See our guide to your new banana plant's first few weeks for hydration, potting, and planting timing.