Today's commercial bananas are scientifically classified into the genus Musa of the Musaceae family. The Cavendish is the most common variety of bananas now imported to the United States. The Cavendish is a shorter, stubbier plant than earlier varieties. It was developed to resist plant diseases, insects and windstorms better than its predecessors. The Cavendish fruit is of medium size, has a creamier, smooth texture, and a thinner peel than earlier varieties.
Bananas are perennial crops that are grown and harvested year-round.
The banana plant does not grow from a seed but rather from a rhizome or bulb. Each fleshy bulb will sprout new shoots year after year. Each banana plant bears only one stem of fruit. The plant thrives in tropical climates and is generally grown within 30 degrees North and South latitude. It needs temperatures around 80 F., annual rainfall of 79 to 98 inches and moist soil with good drainage.