Brian Wells, age 10, of Spring Grove,I11., for his question:

 DOES A BANANA TREE GROW FROM SEEDS?

A banana has no real seeds and it does not grow on a real tree. The banana plant dies down right after it bears a great big bunch of bananas. But the roots of the old parent plant send up lots of little shoots. These baby shoots are taken off and planted. Each one grows a thick trunk, which actually is made of large, furled leaves. After about a year, the new plant grows a crop of bananas. Then it dies down and more shoots sprout up from its roots.