Banana

fruit · tropical · farming

Weird fruit science. Even though bananas look nothing like strawberries, botanists call them berries too. A berry is actually just a fruit that grows from the flower's ovary, and bananas fit that description perfectly.

Growing upside-down. Bananas do something cool that most fruits don't, they grow upward toward the sun instead of hanging down. They cluster together near the top of the tall plant in a bunch that can hold dozens of bananas.

No seeds needed. The bananas at the grocery store have no seeds in them, but they weren't always that way. People discovered that seedless bananas tasted better and were easier to eat, so now farmers grow only those kinds.

From two wild cousins. Every yellow banana you've ever eaten came from mixing up just two wild banana species from Asia, or their hybrid children. Scientists combined Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana to create the perfect banana for eating.

Rainbow of colors. Bananas aren't just yellow, green, and brown. They can be reddish, purple, or striped depending on the variety, though the ones in most stores look pretty similar.