Pineapple - Antigua and Barbuda


In 1695, the Santiago da Cullerin was smashed against the coral reefs near the Barbuda coast. The ship, carrying 13,000 silver pesos, prompted the locals into a lucrative salvage effort. Salvaging ships unable to steer clear of the dangerous coral reefs had at one time provided a source of income to the local islanders.

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Ananas comosus - The pineapple is native to South America. It is now widely distributed throughout the tropics and can be grown in greenhouse settings in the temperate zones. It is one of over 3,100 species in the Bromeliaceae family, most being native to the tropical regions of the Americas. The fruit is a multiple organ, formed by the coalescence of the fruits of a hundred or more individual flowers. The time period from planting to maturity may take as long as 15 to 20 months.