Ice Cream gets pretty big. You might want to think about trying to acquire a smaller variety that you can manage as a potted plant. I have one called 'Truly Tiny' that tops out at 4-5'. But as for the problem at hand, I'm in FL, and I planted a pup about the same size out in March. Mine is well past the roofline, probably in the 15' range. Still hasn't sent up a flower stalk yet. I'm not sure how big it will get. I've seen a lot of varied reports on how big this variety gets. The largest indicates 18'. If I were you I would separate off the pup and pot it up. Keep it indoors for the winter so you have a sure thing for next spring. As for the large plant, you could try protecting just the trunk and roots and not the foliage. In your area a banana isn't going to be root hardy without protection. You could try to use a cover & heat to protect the trunk, but I'm not sure how successful that would be. I think you could also "decapitate" it at about 4' to just a trunk, then dig up the root ball and trunk and put it in a large pot for the winter. More drastic, but it would likely recover and start pushing out new leaves. I've never tried that with a plant that tall, but I've separated off and decapitated a 5' pup (to about 1') and successfully transplanted it.

theyardman 6AB SE Michigan (My Page) on Tue, Aug 31, 10 at 14:57

All I can say is OMG! I planted a 2-3' pup in late May right near our pool. This Ice Cream Banana grew 14 huge leaves so far this nice warm humid summer. It is now 10' tall and I don't know what to do this Winter. It is too far from the house to try to overwinter outside and way too precious of a plant (and a 2' pup) to allow to die.
How should I take care of this baby?

HELP - Our first frost is usually very late October, however, Mother Nature could surprise us as early as first part of October. I need to figure it out now!

If you have a garage attached to your house; this is what I would propose.

1. Dig up the plant just before the first frost (couple of days before)

2. Leave about 6" of dirt on the bottom and the sides of the trunk on the rootball.

3. Cut off all the leaves about 3" from the trunk.

3. Leave about 6" of dirt on the bottom and the sides of the trunk on the rootball.

4. Use your, or borrow a, 2- wheeler. Place the trunk with attached rootball in a large flower pot with any of your other (To die for bananas) and wheel it into your garage.(You will need some help with this) I would just barely cover the corm with potting soil (like storing bulbs).

5.DO NOT WATER TILL ABOUT MARCH (THE PLANT WILL GO DORMANT)

Place the pot near an inside wall closest to the middle of the house (Hopefully with your winters you will not go below 32 degrees in your garage for an extended period as far as your corm going to mush)

6. When March comes along be looking out for growth out of the top of the plant (even if it is just a stem starting to extend) and start watering just a little.

6. Whatever your last frost date is; wait another 2 weeks and plant that bad boy! Works like a charm for me in the Charlotte area! Smooth growing!

Posted by aisacola 7-b (My Page) on Thu, Sep 2, 10 at 22:03
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Charlotte Area Banana grower. Thanks for your advise. This sounds like a decent idea. Now, to stratgize and orchestrate this temporary transplant should be interesting.

I have a Large Ice Cream Banana in my front yard and one in the back. and I need to overwinter the same way. It will be my first time I'm going to try to save as much of the stalk as I can. Could I winterize by laying it down or does it need to stay straight up? You should check out my tropical page on flickr. I live in zone 5-6 and tried tons of tropicals this year and will be trying to overwinter them different ways this year. http://www.flickr.com/groups/northerntropicalplants/ join the group and post pictures and messages

stgawne 6 - I took your suggestion and signed up for the flikr site thru Yahoo! cool photos. Were u from?

People do lay them down and get away with it but
they could get bruised,better if they stand,they carry a lot of water!

I overwintered Banana plants in my cool basement(unheated) last year/winter.

The other great thing about doing this is you may end up with these things!(-:

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Good luck!