Tropical Forest going bananas
Otago Museum science communicator Alice Morrison shows off the first edible bananas to be cut from the Tropical Forest in its Tuhura Science Centre.
Many of the varieties planted in the forest are ornamental, and the edible kind take three years to fruit.
But it was well worth the long wait — particularly for the 1000 butterflies in the museum’s butterfly house which would get to enjoy them, she said.
Usually, museum staff would have to buy bananas and other fruit for the tropical butterflies, which came from Costa Rica and the Philippines, as they liked eating rotting fruit.
Now, they would be able to taste the homegrown kind.
‘‘It is cool that the bananas we grew are now going to be used to actually feed our butterflies . . . it is kind of a full circle moment,’’ Ms Morrison said.
Once it fruits, the tree itself will die, but then a new one will grow from its roots.
She expected the tree would be able to deliver more fruit within the year.