Characteristics of the Banana Flower

• Each banana plant grows a cluster of flowers from its stem. The cluster is also called an inflorescence or a heart. Some banana trees produce more than one heart, but this is rare. Each heart produces both male and female flowers. The female flowers appear first, sprouting spirally from the heart in groupings of 10 to 20. These female flowers are the ones that eventually become banana fruit, most typically between 4 and 12 inches in length. The other banana flowers can vary in size, from just a few centimeters in length when they start to bloom to several inches when they are ripe for picking. Some flowers can even grow up to a foot long.
  
  

Characteristics of Banana Plants

• Banana plants grow upright and their stems can reach between 20 to 25 feet in height. Each stem of a banana plant can grow one cluster of bananas. The plants also feature green, fleshy leaves that can grow up to 9 feet in length. When the heart of the banana plant first emerges, it appears as a tapering, purple bud pushing out from the plant's stem. The bud then opens and reveals white, clustered flowers. Female flowers bloom towards the bottom of the bud, while male flowers line the top.
  
  

Growing Banana Plants

• Banana trees that produce edible bananas grow in tropical regions. Cool weather stunts growth in the plants. Lower temperatures can also prevent the bud from flowering. Banana plants should be planted in well-drained, deep soil in order to flower and produce fruit. Once the plants are put into the ground, they typically take between 15 and 18 months to flower.
  
  

Uses for the Banana Flower

• Some South Asian cultures include the banana flower in local recipes. They consider the flower to be a vegetable, and serve it either raw or steamed. The banana flower has a slightly bitter taste, and is most often served with dips or in soups and stews. Banana flowers can also be eaten in a method similar to artichokes. It is possible to eat the fleshy parts of the flower that were closest to the heart of the plant, and then throw the edges away.