Is the Banana a herb or a fruit?

This is all about botanical classification!

Why the banana plant is a herb

In botany, a “herb” is defined as a plant that doesn’t develop a woody stem (like a tree). Instead, it has a soft, green stem. Banana plants have a “pseudostem” made of tightly packed leaf sheaths, which looks like a trunk but isn’t true wood. This makes it a herb, despite its size.

The banana fruit

The part we eat is indeed a fruit. Botanically, a fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, containing seeds^. While commercial bananas are often seedless (through cultivation), they still develop from the flower’s ovary, making them fruits.

The banana plant: Is a herb (botanically).

The banana itself: Is a fruit (botanically).

It’s a bit confusing because in everyday language, we use “herb” to mean small, leafy plants used for flavouring. But in botany, it has a broader meaning related to stem structure.