03/29/2005 - Aloha!  Yesterday's "Old Pineapple Hut" picture sparked some interest in how "real" pineapples grow. Here is a picture of some "baby" pineapples that recently morphed from a flowery cone. Here is the story of how the pineapple comes to be.  Enjoy!

     "The pineapple belongs to the bromeliad family, Bromeliaceae. It is classified as genus Ananas...The pineapple plant has underground roots and also small roots that grow above the ground. When the plant is from 14 to 16 months old, an inflorescence (flower stalk with tiny flowers attached) appears in the centre. The inflorescence resembles a small pink-red cone. After the inflorescence has grown about 5 cm high, flowers begin to open. Each flower develops into a fruitlet (above ground). The fleshy parts of the fruitlets unite with the stalk to which they were attached. This combination of fruitlets and stalk forms the yellow centre of the pineapple."