The banana is native to tropical South and Southeast Asia, and is the largest known herbaceous flowering plant. Earliest cultivation of the banana began at least 5,000 BCE, most likely in Papua New Guinea. Almost all edible bananas come from two wild species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. Bananas were introduced to the Americas by Portuguese sailors who brought the fruit from West Africa in the 16th century. The word “banana” is of West African origin, from the Wolof language, and has passed into English via Spanish or Portuguese.

Today, the word banana usually refers to soft, sweet edible bananas, or the firmer, starchier cooking banana, called a plantain. They are cultivated primarily for their fruit throughout the tropics in more than 100 countries. They are also grown for their fiber and to serve as ornamental plants. In cultivated varieties, the banana’s seeds are diminished to tiny black specks in the interior of the fruit. Many varieties of bananas are perennial.

The fruit of the banana comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. All banana fruits develop from the heart of the plant and form a large hanging cluster made of tiers, with up to 20 fruit to a tier. The individual banana fruits are called “fingers.” When ripe, the colors include yellow, purple and red.