The ananas comosus also known as the pineapple, is a tropical fruit that is rich in enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants. Pineapples are members of the bromeliad family. The natives of southern Brazil and Paraguay spread the pineapple throughout South America, and it eventually reached the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs. Columbus encountered the pineapple in 1493 on the leeward island of Guadeloupe. Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493, although the fruit had long been grown in South America. He called it piña de Indes, meaning “pine of the Indians.
To grow a pineapple, you need a fresh pineapple. The stem is where the roots will start growing. You can start this by letting the base of the stem touch the surface of the water by suspending the stem using toothpicks. From slips (the bottom of the pineapple) they take about a year to mature enough to form a flower for fruit. From stems, about 1 1/2 years to form flowers and from sometimes they can take 2 1/2 years to mature enough to flower. Once they flower it takes another 6 months for the fruit to mature.