What do you know about banana tree seeds that makes the banana fruit different from all others? Banana tree is not a 'tree' rather it is a herb which has an upright pseudo-stem. Cut open a banana and look closely, you will find black colored specks right inside the fruit. These are banana tree seeds. The markets are filled with the hybrid variety of the fruit which are seedless.

Some Interesting Facts About Banana Tree Seeds

Commonly, banana trees are grown through vegetative propagation of the stem cuttings or root cuttings. Sometimes the offshoots that develop near to the mother plant also grows to bear fruits. It is possible to grow banana trees from banana tree seeds. Gardening enthusiasts world over were once upon a time puzzled about the viability of propagation of banana trees through banana tree seeds.

Wild species of bananas can be grown from banana tree seeds while the common banana that we consume every other day is grown through vegetative propagation. The commercially grown banana is the hybrid variety with a triploid (3n) set of chromosomes. These hybridized varieties of the fruit are bigger in size, tastier and have higher nutrition content. The factor that affects market of this fruit 'fruit yield' is also increased through hybridization. Hybridized bananas are produced through parthenocarpy i.e. without fusion of male and female gametes. Hence the bananas thus born have sterile seeds. These banana tree seeds cannot be used to grow new banana trees. On the other hand, wild bananas have viable banana tree seeds with diploid (2n) set of chromosomes and can be used for growing new banana trees.

Growing Banana Trees from Banana Tree Seeds

Cultivating banana tree seeds is not an easy job and you need to find wild variety of banana tree seeds for propagation. You need to first locate a horticulture center and place orders for banana tree seeds. These seeds have to be sown carefully with strict adherence to banana tree care instructions.

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