Recently, we shared with our readers one of our unusual plants on the campus of Perry Wellness Center – a large century plant. But this plant is not the most unusual one found amid the landscaped areas of the campus. In Helping Hand Park, several banana trees were planted, and they have flourished, casting welcome shade with their giant leaves.

This shade came in handy for peer Tyshaun Thomas and staff member Steve McKenzie on a recent morning, as they tackled the problem of volunteer plants around the plants. The hot, humid weather and recent rain had encouraged unwanted growth, but Tyshaun and Steve volunteered to help out. Luckily, the lush banana plants provided needed shelter from the late July sun as they toiled.

In the photo above, Tyshaun Thomas, left, and Steve McKenzie enter what resembles a tropical jungle at Perry Wellness Center.