In April, 2007 we planted a banana tree in our backyard in the Florida panhandle.
It's really a banana plant that grows from a large tuber that looks like a canna flower tuber.
In a few years however, it can easily look like a 20 foot tall tree with a 6 inch trunk.
In June, 2008 our banana tree was still relatively small because after a few frosts over the winter it looked dead, and we mistakenly cut it back to the ground.We live in agricultural zone 9. Banana trees grow better farther south in zone 10 or 11.
Over the winter of 2008 we covered the tree to protect it from the frost. In the spring of 2009 we trimmed off the dead leaves and the tree started putting out new leaves from the trunk which was about 5 feet tall. We have been told that bananas will develop the second year after the tree has grown about 20 leaves.
At the end of July 2009 we noticed a banana pod developing and hoped for edible bananas.
As the petals of the pod opened we could see the small bananas and flowers.
There was a bunch of bananas developing under each petal that opened.
By August 2nd the humming birds had found how good banana nectar tastes.
August 11 More bananas are growing from the same pod.
August 11 Notice some of the bananas in the bunch don't develop properly.
August 24 petals of the pod are still opening, but no new bananas are forming.
August 24 The first bunches are still growing and filling out.
September 2 The stem on the pod gets longer and longer as the pod continues to open.
September 2 There are still flowers under each petal.
November 16 The tree is mature at about 20 feet.The pod is much smaller and continuing to open.
November 16 The bananas will be ready to cut only when the pod has opened it's last petal.
December 14 The banana tree suffered a frost, but we continue to wait until the pod drops off to harvest the bananas. 
