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Pineapple plant

The pineapple plant: a tropical plant

The pineapple plant is part of the Bromeliads family, a family of plants that grows and is born mainly in the areas close to the rainforests and in South America. For this reason, it is defined as a tropical plant assimilated to succulent plants, also called succulent plants because they have the ability to store a large amount of water inside them. In the case of the pineapple plant, the water is forfeited into the fruit of the pineapple, the fruit of the plant derived from its flower. The plant has all the characteristics of many tropical plants. In fact, it has arched and very leathery leaves, which make it look like a palm tree, but with smaller dimensions. Hardly, in fact, the pineapple plantit reaches one meter in height, preferring a development in width. The leaves are arranged in a spiral around the stem and act as a corolla for a central peduncle, from which the flower will arise and develop. Purple in color and of considerable size, its shape already recalls that which the fruit will take on when it ripens. The much appreciated fruit will then develop from the flower as infructescence.

There are many things that many today do not know about the pineapple plant and its fruit. From its history, to its cultivation, the pineapple, or pineapple, remains an unknown. Like, for example, its origin. The first to discover its existence was Christopher Columbus, during the exploration of the island of Guadeloupe, in 1493. And its name seems to derive from the guaranì «anana», name given to the plant and to the fruit, by the natives who cultivated it. Yet in Europe it was for a long time called Pigna Reale or Pigna delle Indie, since having it at your table was a luxury that only the richest could afford. This at least until, in 1600, the pineapple plant began to be cultivated first in Hawaii and Guam, then in England, in a greenhouse, forever changing the fate of this tropical fruit today among the best known. But there is not one pineapple plant. There are many pineapple species in nature. From the Ananas Arvensis plant to the more common Ananas Sativus that grows in the tropical Americas. However, what we know and are used to calling is the variety called Ananas Comosus.

Cultivation and habitat of the pineapple plant

The pineapple plant is characteristic of the tropical areas of the planet. This means that its favorite habitat is characterized by a very hot climate throughout the year. Furthermore, for the plant to produce fruit, an abundant supply of water is necessary and therefore a soil that is always moist and well drained, rich in potassium, nutrients and possibly with an acid pH not higher than 7.0. This element is crucial because much of the sweetness of the fruit depends on the quality of the soil and the quantity of water that the fruit takes in during its ripening. In general, however, these conditions are to be considered only and exclusively for the purposes of fruit production. The pineapple plant itself is very hardy and survives even in poorly fertile soils. Pineapple, in nature, it takes up to 16 months to reach flowering. Another 4 months, on the other hand, are necessary for the formation of the pineapple proper. It must be said that, today, with the intensive cultivation of pineapples, the preparation time of the plant has been significantly reduced. Often, in fact, the plant is helped with acetylene gas.

Pineapple plant: The properties of the plant and fruit

Even if the cultivation of the pineapple plant requires very particular climatic conditions and habitats, its fruit seems to be a true concentrate of vitamins and healthy active ingredients. First of all bromelain, a very important substance, of which all Bromeliads are rich. Bromelain is, to be precise, a compound of two enzymes capable of carrying out an important decongestant, anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous activity. It therefore becomes a fundamental component in treating inflammation and in the treatment of trauma. But bromelain also has the ability to break down proteins, thus making them more digestible. This is why pineapple and its stem, which is the most leathery central part of the fruit, are recommended for slimming treatments. There are also many vitamins,