Banana plants are technically herbs, not trees

Bananas are one of the world’s most beloved fruits. I remember growing up, my grandmother had a babana tree in her backyard and we were always excited to see it grow. Did you know that most people don’t realize the plant that produces them isn’t actually a tree. Even though banana plants can grow over 20 feet tall, their “trunks” aren’t made of wood. Instead, what looks like a trunk is a pseudostem — tightly packed layers of leaf bases that support the plant and allow it to grow tall without a traditional woody structure.

The banana plant grows from an underground rhizome, a root system that stores nutrients and sends up new shoots. This is why banana plants can keep producing year after year — after harvesting, new stems grow from the same root system, making the plant incredibly resilient.

Bananas themselves develop from the flowering stem in clusters called “hands.” While they might look simple, they’re technically berries, and most cultivated bananas are seedless. Farmers propagate them by cloning sections of the rhizome rather than planting seeds.

Knowing that bananas are giant herbs rather than trees is a reminder of how amazing and adaptable plants can be. The next time you enjoy a banana, take a moment to appreciate the plant behind it — a tall, unusual, and surprisingly clever herb of the natural world.

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