FAQs: Growing Potted Banana Trees Indoors

If you’ve ever considered growing a container-garden of tropical fruit trees on your windowsill, I would recommend starting with two trees: first, the potted lemon tree (because I’m in love with the lemon, and that’s just that), and secondly, the banana.

I have to be honest, I don’t even like bananas. The flavor doesn’t do it for me. Not banana cream pie, not banana bread, not banana-flavored candy or fruity drinks (ew). I’ll eat it, but it’s just not my thing – so it took me YEARS before I started growing bananas along with my other windowsill trees. Once I did start, through, I was absolutely hooked. The banana tree is amazingly easy to grow, has tons of fun varieties to keep experimenting with, is wildly easy to propagate, and is a super cool conversation piece. For those wondering whether to start growing the banana in their house, the following FAQs answer some of the most common questions about growing dwarf banana trees.

Will Potted Banana Trees Ever Bear Fruit?

Yes… but not the size of fruit you may be used to seeing for sale in your local grocery store. Dwarf fruit? Sure! Standard-sized fruit? Not so much.
Bananas you purchase in the supermarket have been grown on absolutely ginormous trees. Unless you have an incredible conservatory or some otherwise-massive indoor growing environment, you can’t grow those trees indoors (which means they simply can’t be grown in northern climates, sadly, as the cold temperatures will kill off an outdoor-grown tree before it becomes mature enough to bear fruit).

What’s the Best Type of Banana Tree to Grow At Home?

This is a personal preference question. Personally, I would vote for a Cavendish variety that is a step below the “dwarf.” (I have a dwarf Cavendish also, but the extra-small varieties are my favorite due to space issues). Look for varieties advertised as “super-dwarf,” or “truly tiny,” or similar names. This variety is shorter than your typical dwarf tree, which makes it easier to contain.
With that said, there are MANY banana trees that can be grown in pots, so don’t limit yourself based on my recommendations! Do some research, explore different nurseries’ options, and find the size, color, and fruit quality that appeals to you!

Do Home-Grown Bananas Have Seeds?

Some varieties of bananas do have seeds, so make sure to do your research before you buy! I know this should seem obvious, but if you purchased banana seeds to plant, keep in mind that that means the “mother” fruit contained those seeds. However hard the seed is, that’s what you can expect to crunch down on when you bite into the ripe fruit. If that doesn’t sound appetizing, look for a seedless variety!
(How are seedless banana trees propagated? By removing and replanting the “pups” that grow up around the base of the mother tree. It’s very easy and almost impossible to mess up, so don’t be afraid that purchasing a seedless banana variety will mean you can’t propagate the tree.)
Read more about different banana trees to grow at home.

Are Blue Bananas Real?

Absolutely… but be aware that they are BARELY blue. Don’t believe those beautiful photos you see on the internet of a bright, primary-color blue fruit; the blue banana exhibits more of a bluish tinge during what we would consider the unripe stage. Essentially, you get a blue-green unripe banana instead of a green unripe banana.
Secondly, be aware that the the blue doesn’t stay permanent. As the fruit ripens, it fades to the normal yellow, so don’t expect bright blue banana cream pie!
Read more about different colors of bananas.

Are Pink Bananas Real?

Yup. But I gotta be honest, I don’t really recommend them except as a pet project. Pink bananas aren’t bright, hot pink; they’re faded, so pretty cool, but not as cool as many internet shock-value sites like to pretend they are. The real problem, though? These bananas are so incredibly seedy that the fruit isn’t really worth it. Those seeds are HARD – and for those who didn’t know, a banana seed is located right in the center of the fruit, so there’s no easy removal. As a fun grow-it-your-self project, pink bananas are pretty awesome, but don’t expect to get a lot of value from the fruit.
Read more about different colors of bananas.

Can You Start Bananas From Seed?

Yes… but it is HARD to germinate a banana seed. Those little seeds are basically like rocks, and getting the little germ inside to sprout through that tough seed-coating is no easy chore. Plan on putting some extra work into the seeds before they go into the dirt (including scarification to weaken the seed-coat enough for the germ to smash through, pre-soaking in warm water). On top of that, you will probably need to use a heat mat when you actually plant the seed, to ensure the environment is absolutely perfect. This Goldilocks seed doesn’t want it too cold or too hot, so you have to get it just right or it’ll never wake up (just ask the seeds I’ve planted over the years!).
Read more about growing windowsill banana trees from seed.

Do Banana Trees Need Constant Water?

Although banana trees are jungle-type plants, that doesn’t mean they want swampy conditions. Yes, they take up a massive amount of water – in reality, the banana isn’t really a “tree” at all, and the thick fleshy vegetation requires a lot of water to keep up turgor pressure.
However, don’t go crazy. Too much water will literally split the leaves at the seams, as the plant simply can’t contain it all! Think of it like a tomato after a rain; as the plant tries to suck up all the extra water, the tomato can’t handle the massive intake, and the skin ends up splitting wide open. That’s essentially what happens with the banana tree leaves, so watch your watering schedule, and make sure you start to ease off when you see a negative impact on the leaves.
Read more about what causes split leaves in banana trees.

Where Can I Learn About Growing Other Potted Subtropical Fruit Trees Indoors?

I’m working on it! There’s a lot of information online from fruit tree nurseries, which I highly recommend as your first step in research. Secondly, I would suggest checking out the handy growing guides from your state’s agricultural extension… and if your state doesn’t cover trees not suited to your climate, look up a southern state’s extension, and extrapolate that data as best as you can to fit a potted plant’s growing needs.
Within this blog, I’m still working on uploading the information I have, but a few growing guides to start off:
Read FAQs about growing potted lemon trees.
Read about growing potted pomegranate trees.
Read about growing potted avocado trees.
And finally, I have a few growing guides published in paperbook and ebook formats that you can purchase on Amazon. Check out the Complete Mini-Guides to Growing Windowsill Potted Fruit Trees series (new books in progress… just give me time).

It didn’t take long for the banana tree to become my favorite container-grown tropical fruit “tree” on my windowsill… even though I still don’t like banana cream pie. Have other questions? Let me know and I can add them to this post!

Epic Fails of a Northern Fruit Gardener

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