Pineapple, that most delicious of the bromeliades, is native to South America and how it came to be grown throughout the tropical world is a story of intrigue, daring-do, theft; whatever your take, its interesting.
The fruit pictured above (a photograph from Panama) started as many flowers. The fruits of these flowers fuse together to make the “multiple fruit” which we recognize as Pineapple.
The plant is propogated by harvesting the leaf structure at the top of the fruit or the suckers which grow on the parent plant.
Pineapple originated in southern Brazil/Paraguay and spread through most of South America. By the time Europeans encountered the plant is was being cultivated by the Maya, Aztec, and many South American tribes. The colonial powers transplanted Pineapple to locations throughout their dominions.
Although Americans tend to associate Pineapple with Hawaii, very little of the world’s Pineapple production now occurs there.