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Why is a banana plant not considered a true tree by botanists?

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Tall giant sequoia trees with reddish bark and thick trunks rise closely together in a dense forest at Sequoia National Park, California. — Tree A stand of giant sequoia trees (*Sequoiadendron giganteum*) in Sequoia National Park, California.

Botanists do not classify the banana plant as a tree because it lacks true woody tissue. While it may appear to have a trunk, this structure is actually a "false trunk" composed of tightly rolled leaf sheaths rather than the secondary xylem (wood) found in true trees.123

By botanical definition, a tree is a perennial plant that possesses a self-supporting trunk made of woody tissue. Because the banana plant is entirely herbaceous—meaning it does not develop the permanent, lignified wood characteristic of trees—it is classified as a gigantic herb.4312