Banana Tree Transformation

Photo - 7/4/06

Sometime toward the end of June I purchased and planted this banana tree. It was only $12.95. For one who always seems to measure everything by its cost and being a "good buy," this sure was one AND it fit in our car; so I bought it. I had no idea that this tree was going to start impacting my thoughts and my camera the way it has, so I did not think to photograph the day I planted it. The photo above was taken on July 4, 2006. I am assuming, since I did not take many photos, that the growth was relatively slow.


In the beginning of August I started photographing frequently and in the latter part of the month it became two, sometimes, three times a day that I went out with my camera. I became intrigued with each leaf as it started extending itself as a straight stalk, then gradually unrolled itself, ultimately into a rich full leaf. In the last week or two the leaves started splitting far more quickly and with more slits than before. They actually wound up looking the Arica palms that back them.

My aim in posting this today is to simply get started and to provide the space for more responsive writing to individual leaves and segments of leaves.