Pineapples Take Two to Three Years to Grow

The journey of a pineapple from planting to your kitchen is a surprisingly long one, reflecting the fruit (Review)'s unique botanical nature. As a member of the Bromeliaceae family, the pineapple is related to Spanish moss. The plant itself is a herbaceous perennial that can take anywhere from 12 to 20 months just to mature enough to produce flowers. What we see as a single pineapple is actually a composite of up to 200 individual flowers that have fused together to form one multiple fruit. After flowering, it takes about another six months for the fruit to develop and ripen. Once it has produced its single fruit, the mother plant begins to die, but not before producing offshoots called suckers, which can be planted to start the lengthy process anew.

This extended growth cycle contributed to the pineapple's status as an extraordinary luxury item for centuries. Originating in the region between southern Brazil and Paraguay, it was a staple for indigenous peoples like the Mayas and Aztecs long before its introduction to Europe. When Christopher Columbus brought the fruit to Spain in 1493, it fascinated the European aristocracy. Due to the difficulty of transportation and the challenges of cultivation in a cooler climate, the pineapple became a powerful symbol of wealth and prestige. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the immensely wealthy constructed elaborate greenhouses called "pineries" just to cultivate the tropical plant, and in England, pineapples were sometimes rented for display at parties to signify the host's social standing.