Stage 1: Root Growth
Banana plants grow from rhizomes -- fleshy roots under the soil. From the bottom of the rhizomes, long feeder roots extend as deep and as wide as 5 feet. New shoots grow from the top of the rhizomes and grow into banana plants. A single rhizome will grow into a full banana plant. As the plant develops, new rhizomes and shoots form around the base. Unless rhizomes are removed manually, multiple banana plants grow from the root area.
Stage 2: Early Development
New plants can be grown from rhizomes or from shoots. Shoots are new plants between 5 and 12 inches tall while the rhizome is just the fleshy root part. During the first part of the growth stage, banana plants produce multiple leaves that grow out of the center of the plant. The leaves emerge tightly wrapped in long sheaths 36 inches or longer before unfurling. A banana plant produces 26 to 32 leaves before flowering.
Stage 3: Fruit Production
Ten to 17 months after planting, a banana will produce a single flower stalk. The flower stalk grows from the center of the leaves and is 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The flower is an inflorescence consisting of multiple small flowers covered by a set of large, leathery purple petals. As the inflorescence matures, the petals curl back exposing multiple white flowers followed by clusters of green developing bananas. As the bananas develop, the petals and flowers fall.
Stage 4: Fruit Harvest and Plant Removal
Once a banana plant produces the single flower and cluster of fruit, the plant dies back. Bananas are removed from the plant while still green for ripening. At this point, the banana plant can be cut at the soil line and removed or allowed to die naturally. If you want new plants to spring up where the old plant was, be careful not to damage the shoots developing around the base. To remove the banana plants from the area, dig up all the rhizomes or they will keep coming back.
