What Is a Group of Bananas Called? A Bunch Isn't What You Think

The most familiar term is a "bunch" of bananas. That’s what you think you see hanging from banana displays or sitting on your kitchen counter. It’s what people say they typically buy from the store—a small group of bananas still attached at the top stem.

But here’s the twist: Botanically, a bunch is much bigger than you might think.

On a banana plant (which isn’t a tree, but a large herbaceous plant), bananas grow in a formation called a "bunch." Each bunch contains multiple "hands," and each hand consists of a line of bananas referred to as "fingers."

So, that cluster of bananas you buy at the store? Technically, it’s a hand. A full bunch—what grows on a single stem in banana plantations—can weigh up to 110 lb (50 kg) and contain several hands.

Bananas grow upward from the plant in rows. Each row, or hand, forms as part of the bunch, growing in layers along the central stem. Farmers harvest the full bunch, then divide it into smaller groups (hands) before sending them off to stores.

This structure helps explain why bananas at the store seem so uniform. The smaller groupings (hands) are ideal for retail because they’re easier to carry, store and sell.

Using the right terms isn’t just about sounding smart at trivia night. It helps people understand how bananas are grown, sold, and consumed. Knowing that your snack is a finger from a hand from a bunch connects you to the long process of banana farming.

It also highlights the sheer quantity one banana plant can produce. A single bunch can hold over 100 individual bananas, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

So next time you grab a bunch of bananas, you’ll know there’s a whole set of terms hiding behind that everyday fruit.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.