Pineapple Fields Forever

The pineapple: we eat them fresh, cooked, juiced, and preserved but probably with little thought about where they come from or how, in fact, they grow. So, the often vast plantations on which the fruit is propagated can be something of a revelation. Welcome to the world of the pineapple. Image Credit jpphoto Image Credit Michelle Lee It is easy, perhaps, to imagine pineapples growing on trees: given the name that would be a fair assumption after all. Yet the pineapple is herbaceous and has no persistent wooden trunk above the ground. Although some do grow taller most pineapple varieties never develop any more than five feet tall. However, seen en masse, they are something of an unexpected spectacle. Image Credit Zen Xacred The pineapple has a few more surprises in store. What we buy is not in fact a single fruit but many berries which coalesce together after they flowers have blossomed and been fertilized. After flowering it can take up to six months for the fruit to be ready for…