When a banana plant flowers, it is one step closer to producing bananas. As the flower petals open, the beginnings of bananas are revealed. The growth process, from the first sign of a flower to the ripe bananas, can take from six to nine months to complete!

 
Once the bananas are harvested, the stalk where they grew will no longer flower or grow bananas. Instead, new stalks continually grow from the corm—the plant's main stem, which is rooted in the ground. So, when one stalk no longer produces flowers, another takes its place.
 
As for our current banana flower, horticulturists in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit will have to wait about three months before the bananas are fully developed and ready to harvest!

Stay tuned for more updates!