Amazon disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links go to Amazon.com, which sets every price and availability. We do not show prices or star ratings because they change; check them on Amazon. Details.
Not a tree
The trunk is a pseudostem of tightly wrapped leaf bases. Each stem fruits once and is then cut, while a new sucker grows from the same root.
From flower to bunch
A large purple bud emerges and the female flowers become “hands” of fruit. On plantations, bunches are often covered with plastic bags to protect them from insects and scarring.
Harvest green
Export bananas are cut green and ripened later, often with ethylene gas, close to where they are sold.