Plant Post

1) Common name: Banana tree 

    Common name in portuguese: Bananeira

    Scientific name: Musa Balbisiana

2) Location on campus:

 3) Pictures:

 4) What attracted me to this particular plant was the fact that it had fruit growing right now. After talking to the school guard that was telling me about the plant, I learned that after the tree has fruit, the branch is cut down, because it will no longer have fruits. The other branches have not yet flowered, therefore, I will be able to observe them during the next two years. Another thing that made me choose this plant was the fact that there is a purple "flower" that peels off according to it's matureness. When this purple flower has peeled off completely, the bananas are ready to be eaten. I found this very interesting and wanted to observe how long it takes for this purple flower to peel off, and if it really tells us when the banana is ready to be eaten. 

5) During the next 9-21 months, I expect to see this branch that currently has bananas be cut down, and the remaining branches to have fruits and after, be cut down as well. I wonder, and hope I can also find out during this period, whether the plant dies or not after all the branches are cut down. 

6) What surprised me about this plant was this purple flower and parts of it that had already peeled off. I found this discovery to be very interesting, and a proof of how plants have a lot more to it than most of us know. I also enjoyed learning that they only have fruits once in their life and then are cut down.