Bananas are herbs / myLot

Rockingham, Australia

March 16, 2026 8:30am CST

Did you know that bananas are classified as a herbaceous plant or herb? This was news to me. In general, we use the word ‘herb’ to describe aromatic plants that we add to our foods. These might include basil, sage, thyme, oregano, etc but botanically they are all herbaceous plants. Herbaceous plants all lack wood in the stem, which remain green, soft and succulent. There is a huge variety of plants of these species from tiny garden flowers to those like bananas, which can reach 20 to 30 feet high or more. The support which bears the heavy bunches of fruit consists of layers of leaf sheaths wrapped around each other. There are no rings of wood that you’d find in trees like cedar or oak. The best I could do for a photo shows banana bread.

15 people like this

16 responses

ShannyBananny

@shaggin (74883)

• United States

Huh is never expect them to be considered that either. They sure do make yummy muffins though

2 people like this

Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (131153)

• Marion, Ohio

I always just considered them a fruit

2 people like this

DianneN

@DianneN (251304)

• United States

Just now

We do seem to learn something new everyday on myLot.

Angie

@andriaperry (118729)

• Anniston, Alabama

Just now

Now I know

Jimbo45

@Ineeddentures (22184)

•

Banana Bread is good I had no idea that a Banana was a herb

Indah Fetha Andri Ariyanti

@indahwow (108)

• Yogyakarta, Indonesia

That’s really interesting information. I also always thought that banana was a tree, so it’s surprising to learn that it is actually classified as a herbaceous plant. It shows that many things around us are not always what we assume they are. The explanation about the banana “stem” being made of layers of leaf sheaths is also fascinating. No wonder it looks like a tree even though it doesn’t have real wood like typical trees. Thank you for sharing this. Now whenever I see a banana plant, I’ll probably remember that it is technically one of the largest herbaceous plants.

1 person likes this

Amber

@AmbiePam (115086)

• United States

42m

I had no idea, but after reading thisI feel a little like I could compete on Jeopardy.

rebelann1949

@rebelann (116440)

• El Paso, Texas

Oh wow, I wouldn't have thought about bananas that way. I've always associated herbs with both cooking and holistic medicine.

Anna

@LadyDuck (495569)

• Italy

Everything about fruits and vegetables sounds weird. Bananas are classified as herbs, but botanically considered berries due to their structure and seed content.

@DaddyEvil (170068)

• United States

Yes, the banana plant isn't a tree but is classed as an herb. The banana itself is a berry because it grows from a single flower.

Traceyjayne

@Traceyjayne (8959)

• United Kingdom

I did not know that …..I do make banana bread though …it’s yummy

Xavier Bage

@franxav (14462)

• India

Banana "trees" ( herb) are quite commonly seen in our area. Many farmers grow bananas in their farms throughout the year. In fact, it's a daily fruit supplement on our family table. The banana bread in your pic made my mouth water ??!