Is a Banana a Fruit or Vegetable?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 31, 2020

A banana is an edible fruit produced by various flowering plants belonging to the genus Musa. The fruit is usually curved and elongated and varies in color, size and firmness.

The most cultivated types of bananas in the world are Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata. Musa species are native to tropical Australia and Indonesia, but they grow in more than 100 countries around the world. The banana plant is the largest type of herbaceous flowering plant and it grows in a variety of different soils as long as they have good drainage. The banana fruit develops in large hanging clusters.