the banana plant may look like a tree, but is in fact a giant herb that grows from an underground stem called a rhizome. this rhizome acts as the plant’s anchor and energy bank. the vertical trunk is not made of wood, but formed by tightly packed layers of leaves held upright solely by water pressure.

new plants emerge from the base as clones, appearing either as robust, narrow-leaved "sword suckers" or weaker "water suckers." each pseudostem is a one-time performer. after the true internal stem rises through the center to produce a bunch of bananas, the leafy structure dies off, leaving the underground rhizome to power the next generation.