Banana tree

[cuddlycat]

I thought that banana trees only gave one bunch of bananas and then died, someone told me that when I was little and I always believed it.

Now someone else has told me that's not exactly true and that the banana tree grows underground and what comes above the ground and everyone thinks is a tree is actually just a branch which grows above ground level, and that each branch only gives out fruit once and then dies but not the tree itself. But that seems even more far fetched than the first theory� Are either of those theories true?

Does that make sense? If it does and anyone could point me towards a website which says so, that'd be very helpful.
Thanks!

[Clanad]

Here's a brief excerpt from a site called Maya paradise:

Banana" is the common name for several species of tropical herbaceous fruit plants found around the world. The banana is native to Southeast Asia but has been introduced to tropical regions all over the world including Central America. The banana is a large treelike plant with a perennial root from which the plant is perpetuated by sprouts or suckers. In the tropics, the stems are annual. In other words, they die after producing fruit and new stems grow from buds in the rootstock. The buds are also the means for propagating and planting new plantations. Growth is rapid and the fruit is ripe about ten months after planting. The stem reaches a height of 10 to 40 feet when full grown. The leaves grow from a crown at the top of the stem and are oval and very large - up to 10 feet long. The bananas grow in a bunch which hangs down from the crown. Bunches weigh from 25 to 40 pounds or more. Each stem develops fruit but once and then dies.

[cuddlycat]

Wow! So it is true! I always thought it was a bit of a mistery how they did die but they were always around, if you know what I mean... Thanks!

[Hammer]

...and did you know that bananas are not fruit but herbs?

... and that the plants can actually 'walk'??

[Fitzer]

Saw this in St. Lucia, the next years stem, known as the daughter, comes up about two feet from the mother, as this happens every year banana fields move across the land. Couldn't find anyone to tell me what happens when they reach the edge of a farmers land, do they cut down the daughters on the far edge and plant new ones on the empty area?

[kempie]

Actually Hammer the 'tree' itself is the herb while the 'fruit' is really a false berry (or epigynous berry). Other examples of a false berry include watermelon, cranberry and cucumber.

[logman]

I'am there is some truth in what you heared years ago, i think i had the same encyclapedia. they are actualy not trees but herbaceaous perenials which means they mostly die down to ground level each year and send up suckers from the roots, after a resting period. A good almost hardy banana to grow in the uk is a Japanese alpine variety called Musa lasiocarpa, but its only root hardy with plenty of straw to cover the roots and stems, before the winter frosts.