Banana Is Just another Herb and Its Plant Is Not a Tree

Banana is a tropical plant that grows naturally in rain forests around the world. Its fruits are edible, you know that well. The fully grown plants are 5 meters high. They are easily recognizable because of their large leafs that are 2 meters long. In the world there are many species of banana plants but most famous and most often cultivated is Musa paradisiacal. It reproduces with corm. Corms are underground germs (like onion) that store reserve compounds (sugar, water, protein, fats).

When the plant is young, only leaves grow from the corm, but when fully grown, flowers grow out of it.  The flowers are on the top and they’re in a form of so called inflorescence. The flowers are big and edible (look like artichoke).

Although banana plants are tall, they are not trees. Banana plants belong to the group of grass. The banana plant is the largest herbaceous plant in the world. Their large leaves grow spirally, so with time the leaf bases and leafs form some kind of false trunk. The fruit of this plant belongs to berries. So every segment from the plants tells us that the banana is just another type of grass.

Bananas are rich with minerals: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and many vitamins: vitamin C, B complex, folate. Also, they contain big amount of sugar, protein and fiber. The banana fruit have almost the same chemical compounds like the pumpkin.

So, next time you eat a banana remember that you’re eating a herb.