Banana Leaf / Water Hyacinth

Banana Leaf
Banana trees are not actually trees at all; they are considered to be herbs. Its stem grows underground like the taro plant. A new stalk will spring up from the same root system in a matter of months.

The trunk that we see above the ground is actually just a column of 25 to 30 tightly layered leaves. The banana plant bears fruit only once, then it must be cut down.

The leaves are removed from the plant after fruiting, and hand woven into ropes. It is from these ropes that Daisy Coffins are carefully produced.

Water Hyacinth
One of the fastest growing aquatic plants known, sometimes called ‘golden plant’, it can double its population in two weeks. Water hyacinth forms a dense impenetrable mat across the water surface, limiting access by man, animals are obstructed, and irrigation and drainage systems become blocked.

Harvesting water hyacinth for constructing Daisy Coffins has great local benefits, in clearing water courses, providing irrigation etc the resulting materials, when woven, produce a beautiful looking coffin.