How to Grow Pineapple Plants From Tops, Seeds or Plants Pineapples aren’t hard to grow but they do take a time commitment; depending on the method, it may be several years until the plant flowers and produces fruit. If you want to grow your own pineapples, there are three ways to get started.
- The first and cheapest method is to start from the green top of a fresh grocery store pineapple.
- Second, you could purchase a pineapple plant and grow it until it produces fruit,
- The third and hardest option is to try growing a pineapple plant from seed.
- Maiapassarak/Shutterstock Starting a pineapple from a green top is possibly the cheapest and easiest way to begin.
Buy a well-ripened fruit with the healthiest looking top you can find. Some rough leaves are okay, but try to find the best one of the lot. Simply remove the top by grasping the fruit in one hand and the top in the other and twisting it off in one steady motion (like wringing out a towel).
- Remove the lower half dozen or so leaves from the bottom of the green shoot, then set it aside and allow it to “cure,” or dry out, for about a week.
- Set the top in a shallow bowl of warm water.
- Change the water every few days, and observe as roots grow over the next few weeks.
- Then plant the cured pineapple top in a 10-inch pot filled with a coarse potting mix, and fertilize it with a balanced liquid fertilizer (shower the liquid right over the top).
The plant will grow indoors like a with moderate light and can be moved outdoors in warm weather. Pineapple plants may be available in your local garden center or there are also sources online. When growing pineapples, remember that their roots do not like to stay wet.
- In fact, they like similar soil conditions as : well drained and on the dry side, but with an acidic pH of 4.5-6.5.
- To determine when to water, the soil should be dry and you should check inside the junctions where the leaves meet the plant.
- If there is water in those little pockets, then skip watering.
If there is no water, then water over the top of the plant. Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer (5-5-5, 10-10-10, etc.) mixed according to the manufacturer’s directions, and showered over the plant just like a normal watering. To start a pineapple from seed, you will first have to obtain the seed.
Occasionally there will be seeds in a store-bought pineapple. Buy a yellow-ripe fruit. As you cut the fruit, look for the small black seeds about three-eighths of an inch in from the outside edge. Rinse the seeds. Germinate the seeds by lightly wrapping them in a wet paper towel and placing it in a plastic zipper bag.
Keep the bag in a constantly warm (65-75 degrees F) place. It takes about six months for the seeds to sprout, at which time the baby plants can be carefully planted in temporary growing containers (1-2 quart size) where they can be babied until they are large enough to plant in the garden or a permanent larger pot. Pineapple plants need ample space, about five feet between plants if growing in-ground or three to five feet in containers. They also grow best in lots of sun (at least 6 hours). Here are a few more pineapple growing tips:
Growing Pineapple Outdoors : Pineapples can reliably be grown outdoors only in 11-12. Growing Pineapple in Containers : Consider keeping the pots outside until freezing temperatures threaten, then moving indoors to the brightest spot in the house (a south facing window is best). Time to Maturity and Fruiting : Regardless of how it was started, a pineapple plant matures at between two and three years of age when it will bear its first fruit. Afterward, it can fruit another time or two at roughly two year intervals before the plant “wears out.” Propagation by Suckers : A pineapple in its productive years may “sucker,” providing yet more opportunities to start new plants. Suckers are baby plants that can form below the soil, between the leaves or along the flower stalk either below or from the side of the fruit. Any of these suckers may be removed from the parent plant to start new pineapples.
: How to Grow Pineapple Plants From Tops, Seeds or Plants
Contents
How many pineapples do you get from one plant?
Production (Crop Yields) – Individual pineapple plants may produce up to two fruit (plant crop and ratoon crop). The ratoon (second) fruit is produced from a sucker that arises below the fruit and is allowed to grow. After harvesting the first fruit (primary or plant crop), remove all suckers and hapas but one.
How long can a pineapple plant live for?
Did you know: Lifespan of a pineapple plant is 7 years. First fruit is borne only after the 2nd year. Every year thereafter each plant produces only 1 fruit. IMAGINE, 1 FRUIT PER PLANT PER YEAR.
How long does it take to grow a pineapple from the top of another?
Cut off the top of the pineapple about 1 inch below the cluster of leaves. Trim away the outer portion of the pineapple top leaving the tough, stringy core attached to the leaves. Also, remove a few of the lowest leaves. The pineapple top should then be allowed to dry for several days.
- The drying period allows the moist core tissue to dry and discourages rotting.
- After drying, insert the pineapple top into perlite, vermiculite, or coarse sand up to the base of its leaves.
- Water the rooting medium.
- Eep the rooting medium moist, but not wet, during the rooting period.
- Finally, place the pineapple top in bright, indirect light.
Rooting should occur in 6 to 8 weeks. When the pineapple has developed a good root system, carefully remove it from the rooting medium. Plant the rooted pineapple in a light, well-drained potting mix. Water well. Then place the plant in bright, indirect light for 2 to 3 weeks.
Are pineapples slow growing?
Fertilize the plant with a balanced fertilizer once a month during the growing season, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Be patient! Pineapple plants are slow-growing and may take several years to produce fruit.
Do pineapples grow only once?
Waiting for Fruit – Gardeners looking for a lesson in patience will find one as they wait for a pineapple harvest. Plants take about 14 to 18 months to reach mature size. Times vary based on cultural practices and on whether you began with a crown, a sucker, or a slip.
- Once the plant is mature and has about 70-80 leaves, a flower stem begins to form.
- Flowers begin opening after about 50 days.
- Individual flowers remain open for only a day, but the plant continues flowering for 20-40 days before the fruit begins to develop.
- Depending on the climate, variety, and care, a home gardener will wait five to seven additional months for the fruit to ripen.
All told, your patience will be rewarded about 18 to 32 months after you plant. When it smells ripe and the peel has changed from green to golden brown, it’s ready to eat! A ripe pineapple takes on a golden-brown color and a barrel shape. David Cappaert, Bugwood.org Only one fruit is produced per pineapple plant. Sometimes you can harvest a second crop, the ratoon crop. Remove all pups but one ratoon (a pup emerging from underground).
This pup will develop into a mature plant and produce a fruit in the same space. A second harvest gives you time to plant the largest of the pups you removed and bring them to maturity. By alternating between new plants and ratoon harvests you can enjoy a continuous supply of pineapples. Flowering in pineapples is a response to cold temperatures (below 60 degrees).
A pineapple plant can be forced to flower out of season once it is at least 16 months old. You can learn more about forcing pineapples to flower in “Pineapple Growing in the Florida Home Landscape.” For more information about pineapples, contact your local Extension office.
Can you grow pineapples indoors?
Can You Grow Pineapple Inside? – Pineapples are not hard to grow indoors. A successfully rooted pineapple plant will start to grow within weeks, provided it gets plenty of warmth and adequate moisture. Once rooted, the pineapple will produce mature fruit in about two years, although this length of time will vary depending on your conditions.
Can pineapple grow twice?
How Often Does Pineapple Bear Fruit? – ( Ananas comosus ) is a perennial plant that flowers once and produces a single pineapple. So yes, the pineapple does die after fruiting, sort of. Pineapple plants do not fruit more than once– that is, the mother plant doesn’t fruit again.
- Commercial growers’ favored cultivar is ‘Smooth Cayenne,’ grown for its flavorful, seedless fruit and lack of spines.
- Commercial pineapple plant fruiting is grown on a two to three year fruit crop cycle that takes 32 to 46 months to completion and harvest.
- Pineapple plants do indeed die after this cycle, but they produce suckers, or ratoons, around the main plant while it is flowering and fruiting.
The mother plant slowly dies once fruiting is completed, but any large suckers or ratoons will continue to grow and eventually produce new fruit. A member of the Bromeliaceae family, pineapple plants react just as ornamental, They die back and produce yet another generation.
Since tropical pineapple only grows outside in USDA zones 11 and 12, most folks, If grown outdoors, the ratoons can be left to continue to grow naturally, but those grown in containers will become crowded, so they are usually repotted once the mother plant begins to die back. These ratoons are little plantlets that grow between the leaves of the mature pineapple plant.
To remove the ratoon, just grasp it at the base and twist it gently from the mother plant. Plant it in a 4 gallon (15 L.) pot filled with moist, well-draining soil. If the suckers are left on the mother plant, the result is called a ratoon crop. Eventually, this crop will mature and produce fruit, but the plants crowd each other out and compete for nutrients, light, and water.
Can pineapple plants survive winter?
Will pineapple plant recover? Q: My pineapple plants were not covered during the freeze and look really bad with lots of brown leaves. Would it be best to cut off all the brown portions? Can they recover? A: Pineapple plants can withstand a chill but they don’t like freezing weather.
- Most unprotected plants have yellow to brown leaves and are in a state of decline like yours.
- Most are going to survive with growth from near the ground-line that is going to take months to produce new plants.
- Do cut off the brown foliage as needed which may be back to near the ground.
- Eep the plants moist and protect them from future freezes the rest of the winter.
Next feeding time is March when the weather becomes consistently warm. Time for new dill plants Q: I had a dill plant outdoors until the cold weather arrived at which time I brought it indoors. It is now getting yellow and droopy. Any suggestions? A: Sounds like it is time to start some new dill plants.
- This is an annual that grows for a few months and declines usually after flowering and setting the dill seeds.
- Plants in containers and moved indoors may find life a bit stressful and decline a bit sooner than normal.
- Dill is easy to grow from seed using packets available at local garden centers.
- Just a few seeds in a container are all you need to start new plants.
They do have to be protected from freezes and love full sun locations. Usually this herb lives up to another of its common names ‘dill weed’ and grows rather easily. Mexican petunias are hardy Q: My Mexican petunias got totally frostbitten. Can I cut them down to the ground? A: A little abuse never seems to bother the Mexican petunias, also know by their genus name of Ruellia.
- They are survivors of cold, dry soil and even a hard pruning.
- So trim away and cut them back to within a few inches of the ground.
- A good pruning is often what is needed to get them back in bounds at this time of the year.
- Taste of kumquats all in the timing Q: We planted a kumquat last spring which has produced fruits that are large and bright orange but bitter and sour.
How can we sweeten the fruits? Will a different fertilizer work? A: Kumquats can be bitter, sour and sweet at various times in the ripening process. The flavor depends on the variety and how long the fruits remain on the tree. Also, young trees of any citrus may produce atypical fruits. : Will pineapple plant recover?
Do pineapples grow fast?
How to Grow Pineapple Plants From Tops, Seeds or Plants Pineapples aren’t hard to grow but they do take a time commitment; depending on the method, it may be several years until the plant flowers and produces fruit. If you want to grow your own pineapples, there are three ways to get started.
- The first and cheapest method is to start from the green top of a fresh grocery store pineapple.
- Second, you could purchase a pineapple plant and grow it until it produces fruit,
- The third and hardest option is to try growing a pineapple plant from seed.
- Maiapassarak/Shutterstock Starting a pineapple from a green top is possibly the cheapest and easiest way to begin.
Buy a well-ripened fruit with the healthiest looking top you can find. Some rough leaves are okay, but try to find the best one of the lot. Simply remove the top by grasping the fruit in one hand and the top in the other and twisting it off in one steady motion (like wringing out a towel).
Remove the lower half dozen or so leaves from the bottom of the green shoot, then set it aside and allow it to “cure,” or dry out, for about a week. Set the top in a shallow bowl of warm water. Change the water every few days, and observe as roots grow over the next few weeks. Then plant the cured pineapple top in a 10-inch pot filled with a coarse potting mix, and fertilize it with a balanced liquid fertilizer (shower the liquid right over the top).
The plant will grow indoors like a with moderate light and can be moved outdoors in warm weather. Pineapple plants may be available in your local garden center or there are also sources online. When growing pineapples, remember that their roots do not like to stay wet.
In fact, they like similar soil conditions as : well drained and on the dry side, but with an acidic pH of 4.5-6.5. To determine when to water, the soil should be dry and you should check inside the junctions where the leaves meet the plant. If there is water in those little pockets, then skip watering.
If there is no water, then water over the top of the plant. Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer (5-5-5, 10-10-10, etc.) mixed according to the manufacturer’s directions, and showered over the plant just like a normal watering. To start a pineapple from seed, you will first have to obtain the seed.
- Occasionally there will be seeds in a store-bought pineapple.
- Buy a yellow-ripe fruit.
- As you cut the fruit, look for the small black seeds about three-eighths of an inch in from the outside edge.
- Rinse the seeds.
- Germinate the seeds by lightly wrapping them in a wet paper towel and placing it in a plastic zipper bag.
Keep the bag in a constantly warm (65-75 degrees F) place. It takes about six months for the seeds to sprout, at which time the baby plants can be carefully planted in temporary growing containers (1-2 quart size) where they can be babied until they are large enough to plant in the garden or a permanent larger pot. Pineapple plants need ample space, about five feet between plants if growing in-ground or three to five feet in containers. They also grow best in lots of sun (at least 6 hours). Here are a few more pineapple growing tips:
Growing Pineapple Outdoors : Pineapples can reliably be grown outdoors only in 11-12. Growing Pineapple in Containers : Consider keeping the pots outside until freezing temperatures threaten, then moving indoors to the brightest spot in the house (a south facing window is best). Time to Maturity and Fruiting : Regardless of how it was started, a pineapple plant matures at between two and three years of age when it will bear its first fruit. Afterward, it can fruit another time or two at roughly two year intervals before the plant “wears out.” Propagation by Suckers : A pineapple in its productive years may “sucker,” providing yet more opportunities to start new plants. Suckers are baby plants that can form below the soil, between the leaves or along the flower stalk either below or from the side of the fruit. Any of these suckers may be removed from the parent plant to start new pineapples.
: How to Grow Pineapple Plants From Tops, Seeds or Plants
Which fruit takes the shortest time to grow?
Fastest Growing Fruits – Berries are biologically a fruit, but most people think of berries and fruit as different types of food. Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are some of the fastest-growing fruits. They produce the fastest fruiting the second year, compared to blueberries that can take three to five years before producing berries.
Do pineapples regrow after harvest?
How to propagate a pineapple plant – How to grow a pineapple plant – potted up offset. Getty Images Once it has produced a fruit, your pineapple plant will die back. However it will produce baby plants (offsets) at its base. Simply sever them from the mother plant with a clean, sharp knife, making sure you cut any roots away with each one, then pot each offset into a small pot and grow on.
Grow a pineapple from a top
Can dogs eat pineapple?
Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Pineapple? – Yes. Raw pineapple, in small amounts, is an excellent snack for dogs. Canned pineapple, on the other hand, should be avoided. The syrup in canned fruits contains too much sugar for most dogs’ digestive tracts to handle.
A few chunks of raw pineapple are usually enough for most dogs, provided they are peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces. Plus, frozen pieces of fresh pineapple make a delicious treat in the summer. If your dog does not like pineapple, there are plenty of other fruits and vegetables that are safe for dogs to eat,
For more information about human foods that are safe for dogs to eat, check out this helpful article,
How often do you water pineapple?
Water weekly (and only a little) Your pineapple plant loves a good watering in the summer months, but only once a week max. The soil needs to dry out before you water it again, so it should just feel very slightly damp. Too much water in the soul will cause the pineapple plant to rot.
Do pineapple plants need a male and female?
Introduction – Pineapple, Ananas comosus L., is a monocotyledon, belonging to the large genus Ananas of the family Bromeliaceae, which includes many ornamental plants. It is an exotic fruit with origins from South America. It is mentioned in the chronicles of Pedro Martyr d’Anghiera in 1530 as being found in a tiny Indian village on the island of Guadeloupe during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1493.
- The name pineapple is thought to have originated because of the fruit’s resemblance to a pine cone.
- The pineapple plant is a drought-tolerant herbaceous perennial plant, with a rosette of waxy leaves and a short stem.
- The pineapple fruit is a compound fruit that develops through the fusion of many individual fruitlets.
These small fleshy fruitlets are fused together around the fibrous central stem referred to as the core. Each fruitlet develops from a hermaphrodite flower, which is self-sterile although it has both male and female parts. Self-sterility is advantageous in terms of fruit quality and palatability.
- Each fruit is borne on a peduncle, which is an extension of the stem of the pineapple plant.
- Fruits can vary in size.
- The flesh of the fruit is juicy, has an exotic sweet flavor, and can be pale cream to yellow in color.
- The top of the fruit is known as the crown.
- It is an extension of the apical meristem and can be used as planting material.
Read full chapter URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012384947200547X
Why are pineapples so cheap?
Supply outstrips demand, so prices remain relatively low. Also, farming techniques used in pineapple production helps to shorten the time that plants produce fruit, so that with some varieties, more than 1 crop can be harvested each year. Why is pineapple so cheap when each plant produces only one fruit in a year?
Why are pineapples so hard to grow?
How pineapples are grown – There are a range of worker roles in the production of pineapples, these vary from land preparation in the field to loading pineapples into boxes in the pack house. The diagram on the right provides an idea of the range of worker roles in the pineapple industry. Worker conditions can be incredibly difficult. Pineapple plants are spiky and difficult to handle, they grow low to the ground requiring workers to stoop over the plants, and the monoculture production method requires that there is no shade over the plants.
- Therefore, workers have no respite from the suffocating heat of the day.
- The majority of large scale plantations are in operation for 24 hours a day.
- Workers therefore work in shifts of anything from 8 to 14 hours, which vary depending on the time of the shift.
- The types of tasks, in both the field and the packing hourses involve using heavy machinery and carrying out repetitive tasks that put a lot of strain on the body (i.e., constant bending over to plant seeds, weed and harvest the pineapples).
Some companies are, however, introducing mechanised harvesting which goes some way to reduce the strain on workers.
Is pineapple good for health?
Slideshow: Health Benefits of Pineapple Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on February 24, 2023 Despite its rough exterior, the pineapple is a symbol of welcome and hospitality. This dates from the 17th century, when American colonists braved dangerous trade routes to import pineapple from the Caribbean Islands and share it with guests. Pineapple is also quite hospitable to your immune system: One cup has more than 88% of your daily value of cell-protecting, collagen-making vitamin C.
The mineral manganese plays an essential role in the way your body metabolizes food, clots blood, and keeps your bones healthy. One cup of pineapple has more than half of the manganese you need every day. This mineral is also present in whole grains, lentils, and black pepper.
In addition to large amounts of vitamin C and manganese, pineapples add to your daily value of vitamin B6, copper, thiamin, folate, potassium, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, and iron.
Pineapples are the only known food source of bromelain, a combination of enzymes that digest protein. That’s why pineapple works as a meat tenderizer: The bromelain breaks down the protein and softens the meat. In your body, bromelain makes it easier for you to digest food and absorb it.
When you eat, your body breaks down food. This process creates molecules called free radicals. The same goes for exposure to tobacco smoke and radiation. Pineapples are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, two antioxidants that protect your cells from free radicals that can cause chronic disease. More studies are needed, but bromelain has also been linked to reduced risk of cancer.
Bromelain, the digestive enzyme in pineapple, has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. This helps when you have an infection, like sinusitis, or an injury, like a sprain or burn. It also offsets the joint pain of osteoarthritis. The vitamin C in pineapple juice also keeps inflammation levels low.
Intense workout? The anti-inflammatory benefits of the bromelain in pineapple can help muscles recover quicker and keep you from feeling sore.
Fresh pineapple can make your mouth tingle or burn. That’s because our tissues are made of protein, and the bromelain in pineapple breaks down protein. This is normal. It’s temporary and doesn’t mean you’re allergic to pineapple. It may help to eat a dairy food along with the fruit.
The most common allergic reaction to pineapple is swelling, hives, or trouble breathing. If you have a latex allergy, you may also be allergic to pineapple.
Smell the end of the pineapple first. Does it smell like pineapple? Good. Does it smell fermented? Keep looking. It should feel heavy and not have any soft spots or bruises. A ripe, whole pineapple will keep on the counter for 2-3 days. Once you cut it, it’ll stay good in the fridge for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for 6 months or more.
- You can store it on its own or in its juice.
- They may be the world’s friendliest fruit, but pineapples can be confusing to cut.
- Here’s how to get from the rough skin to the juicy fruit: Cut off the top, also called the crown, and the bottom.
- Dig out any “eyes” left behind.
- Stand it up and slice off the outer skin from top to bottom.
Cut it in half from top to bottom, and then cut those halves into quarters. Slice off the core from all four pieces, then cut into smaller chunks. IMAGES PROVIDED BY:
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- SOURCES:
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania: “The Significance of the Pineapple.”
- Danielle Feinberg, MS, RD, New York.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: “Vitamin C,” “Manganese.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Pineapple, raw, all varieties.” University of Melbourne: “The Flesh-Eating Pineapple,” “Be careful! Pineapple is digesting your mouth!”
- Mount Sinai: “Bromelain.”
- Mayo Clinic: “Antioxidants.”
- Journal of Medicinal Plants Research: “Flavonoids and phenolic acids: “Role in biochemical activity in plants and human.”
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: “Bromelain.”
U.S. National Library of Medicine: “Bromelain as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis: a Review of Clinical Studies.” Arthritis Foundation: “What Is Arthritis,” “Best Drinks for Arthritis.” Allergy & Asthma Network: “Latex Allergy and Foods.” U.S. National Library of Medicine: “Acute protease supplementation effects on muscle damage and recovery across consecutive days of cycle racing.” USDA EatFresh.org: “Pineapple.” University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign: “How to Cut a Pineapple.” Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: “The many flavors of pineapple reactions.” : Slideshow: Health Benefits of Pineapple
Is Fresh pineapple good for you?
Pineapple contains plenty of nutrients and beneficial compounds, such as vitamin C, manganese, and enzymes to help aid digestion. Eating fresh or roasted ripe pineapple may help boost immunity, lower cancer risk, and improve recovery time after surgery.
- Pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) is an incredibly delicious, healthy tropical fruit.
- It’s packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and other helpful compounds, such as enzymes that can protect against inflammation and disease.
- It’s commonly eaten baked, grilled, or freshly cut.
- Originating in South America, it was named by early European colonizers for its resemblance to a pine cone ( 1 ).
Pineapple and its compounds are linked to several health benefits, including improvements in digestion, immunity, and recovery from surgery. Here are 8 impressive health benefits of pineapple.
Do pineapple plants clean the air?
Best for snorers: Pineapple plant – They’re easy on the eye and will bring some tropical vibes into your bedroom, but pineapple plants will also clean the air you breathe. Like most plants, they need carbon dioxide to grow, but they have no use at all for oxygen, which is created as a waste product of plant growth.
- So they store use any carbon dioxide they breathe in, removing it from the air, and release pure, filtered oxygen back into the room for us to breathe.
- Often, specialized plant species will also filter out other gasses and toxins which are useful to them but harmful to us.
- Don’t take our word for it – a recent study by NASA bigged up the pineapple plant for enhancing the air and pumping out so much oxygen.
There’s another big benefit as well: pineapple plants can even stop your snoring. You snore when your airways narrow while you sleep, but pineapple plants improve the air so much during the night that airways become looser, helping you breathe smoothly and quietly.
Can pineapple grow in pots?
Potting and Repotting Pineapple – If you’re using a container, start with a 6- to 8-inch pot. Plan to repot into a slightly larger container when the plant’s roots fill the entire space. A mature pineapple plant can reach 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. However, it’s likely to stay smaller as a potted plant.
How many pineapples does a plant produce each year?
One, Two, a Hundred? – A pineapple plant can produce fruit for over fifty years which is a long time for a fruit-bearing plant. The surprising downside, however, is that each year a pineapple plant only produces ONE pineapple, which is not a lot. One more fact – pineapples don’t grow trees, they grow on stocky plants which remain close to the ground.
Do pineapples regrow after harvest?
How to propagate a pineapple plant – How to grow a pineapple plant – potted up offset. Getty Images Once it has produced a fruit, your pineapple plant will die back. However it will produce baby plants (offsets) at its base. Simply sever them from the mother plant with a clean, sharp knife, making sure you cut any roots away with each one, then pot each offset into a small pot and grow on.
Grow a pineapple from a top
How many flowers does it take to form a pineapple?
Pineapple plant coloring page + fun facts | Naples Botanical Garden
The pineapple plant ( Ananas comosus ) is a tropical fruit that is native to South America. It originally came from the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay. Pineapples spread throughout South America, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, where they were cultivated by the Maya and the Aztecs, Pineapple plants are part of the Bromeliaceae family, wh ich means they are a species of bromeliad! T he pineapple plant produces over 200 flowers on a stalk that rises from the center of the plant. Each flower is pollinated separately and forms a small scale-like fruit. The individual scales join to create the pineapple. In the wild, hummingbirds and bats pollinate pineapple flowers. In commercial cultivation, pineapples are hand-pollinated to reduce seed production. An individual pineapple fruit can take over two years to grow ! After harvesting, the tops of the fruit s can be planted in soil to grow more pineapple plants. Pineapple fruit and juice are used in many cuisines worldwide. Raw pineapple can be a great source of manganese and vitamin C, and it contains an enzyme called bromelain that aids in digestion and acts as an anti-inflammatory, Raw pineapple juice is often used as a meat marinade and tenderizer because its high bromelain content breaks down proteins.