A banana tree has ripened outdoors in Seoul for the second year in a row ? a rare sight that experts say reflects South Korea’s changing climate.
The tree, located at Cheonsu Weekend Farm in Nowon District, stands about 1.5 times the height of an average adult. Clusters of green bananas and deep purple flowers hang from its stems. On July 30, a thermometer nearby read 35.8 degrees Celsius with 73% humidity ? conditions nearly perfect for bananas, which grow best between 27 and 35 degrees Celsius and with an annual rainfall of around 1,700 millimeters.
Bananas are usually grown in greenhouses in Korea. But these fruits matured naturally, without artificial climate control.
“One out of four trees bore fruit this year, just like last year,” said farm owner Ma Myung-sun. “Doesn’t that tell us something about how the weather is changing?”
South Korea recorded its highest average annual temperature last year at 14.5 degrees Celsius.
Visitors have flocked to see the unusual crop, but Ma offered a warning. “We’re excited, but it’s also a sign to take climate change seriously.”
Experts say the focus should be on developing crops that can withstand extreme conditions.