Pineapple

The pineapple is a tropical plant with an edible fruit and is the most economically significant plant in the bromeliad family. Native to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuries, the pineapple was introduced to Europe in the 17th century, becoming a significant cultural icon of luxury, and since the 1820s it has been grown commercially in greenhouses and across many tropical plantations. The plant grows as a small shrub whose individual flowers fuse, once unpollinated, to form the single multiple fruit; it normally propagates from the offset at the top of the fruit or from a side shoot and typically matures within a year, with the fruit and especially its juice used widely in cuisines and desserts.