Musa acuminata is a fruit tree native to Southern Asia, from Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia. Many of the modern edible dessert bananas are from this species, although some are hybrids with Musa balbisiana. First cultivated by humans for 10 000 years (8000 before Christ), it is one of the early examples of domesticated plants.
Musa acuminata (Banana tree)
Musa acuminata is classified by botanists as an herbaceous plant, but not as a tree, for the trunk is not made of wood but of tightly packed layers of leaves. In can reach 3m high, sometimes even 6m, in a quite narrow spreading. Big purple red flowers appear seasonally on the mature tree (2-3 years old), followed by green then yellow edible bananas. When a stem stop producing flowers and fruits, it will die, but the roots will push out new stems.
Mostly grown in the asian countryside for its fruits, it is also prized in private garden for its fruits and its tropical lush aspect. In cold climates, some varieties shaded from cold winds can survive in the garden, or even in indoor pots for smaller cultivars.