Banana Trees Are Not Trees (and the market)

Who knew?? Banana trees are not trees! And bananas are technically a berry!

Bananas actually grow on tall grassy plants. The root, which looks kinda like a turnip, produces a stem that looks like a tree trunk.  The root is called a corm/tuber.  The stalk is basically a fibrous tube full of water. 

Once the stem has grown, the plant produces a flower called a banana heart because it looks like...a heart!  The heart then produces a long cluster of fruit.  Once the plant has fruited, it dies.  And the root sprouts a new shoot/stem.

The whole plant life cycle takes about 7 months.  That's crazy for a plant that grows about 5 meters tall and produces about 60 bananas!

Most houses in Sri Lanka, that have even the tiniest back yards, have a banana plant.  Most people chop the plant down after harvesting to make room for the new plant.

Google says there are more than 1,000 types of bananas in the world, and 29 types in Sri Lanka. My favourite are the stubby yellow ones. They’re the perfect size to eat!  The type we know at home is the Cavendish.

Pictures
1- A banana flower, courtesy of google.  I have seen a few.  But don't have a good picture.
2- A bunch of bananas growing.   
3- There are soooooo many bananas in the markets!!  Who eats them all??? 
4-6- Some of the interesting people working in the market in Moraratuwa. 
7-Lots of clay pots and stoves for sale before New Years Eve.  In Sri Lanka, it's a tradition to buy a new clay pot for New Years Eve. At a time chosen by astrologers, the mother of the house sets a pot of milk to boil in the house over a little clay stove with a fire in it.  If the pot overflows, which it always does, your family will have good fortune that year.  People say to each other "Kiri Ithiwera- Let your pots overflow with milk."  The Tamil and Sinhalese New Year is officially April 13 or 14, which coincides with the harvest.  But it looks like lots of people also celebrate New Year on January 1.