There are hundreds of banana species, including the short chunky red banana, dwarf or finger banana, the apple flavored Manzano, and the Cavendish. The most commonly available variety in the supermarket is the Yellow Cavendish because it has more fruit and a thinner peel, while common dooryard varieties include Dwarf and Manzano. Bananas mature in about 15 months. Each stem produces fruit only once. The exotic purple flower on the end of the stem opens into clusters of tiny blossoms.
Every blossom grows into a single banana.
Each bunch of bananas is made of about 25 hands. Each hand contains 10 to 12 individual bananas or fingers. The entire bouquet produces a stem of about 250 to 300 bananas. Unlike most other fruit, they are best when harvested green and allowed to ripen in the supermarket or at home. Bananas are the perfect snack food.