I succeeded at producing one of these tasty fruits after pampering its parent plant for two years in a container pot with sweet results. The seed-bearing structure looks like a giant pine cone and shares a name with another popular fruit, the apple. Thus, this colorful, cylindrical edible has become known as a pineapple.You might question the seed-bearing reference because what you buy at the market has no seeds, but there is a reason why and it will be explained later. And, aside from being a cherished delicacy the world over, it has been a colorful symbol in America's social history.
The pineapple is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay where wild relatives occur. The indigenous tribes eventually spread it up into South and Central America and from there to the West Indies. In 1493 Columbus found the fruit on the island of Guadalupe and carried it back to Spain. since, it was spread around the world on sailing ships of various countries.
In the wild, pineapples are pollinated primarily by hummingbirds, but certain wild pineapples are foraged and pollinated at night by bats. Interestingly, one of the primary places where pineapples have been cultivated, hummingbirds are banned. Hawaiian State law forbids hummingbirds. Pollination by these small birds is not wanted. If the flower pollinates then seeds will develop and that is not desirable in the fruit for the market. Instead, pollination is performed by hand. Ananas, Nanas, and Pina are other names it is known by. The Tupi word Nana meant "excellent fruit."
European explorers coined the name pineapple, referenced for the first time in 1664. In the colonial days of America, legend says when a sea captain returned to his home from a long voyage, he would spear a pineapple on his fence post to let his friends and neighbors know that he had returned safely. They would come over for dinner that night to drink and the captain would entertain them with tall tales of travels to exotic new lands. Through this practice, the pineapple earned its symbolic meaning as a sign of welcome and hospitality.
As the tradition and legend of the pineapple spread, colonial innkeepers added the pineapple to their signs and advertisements. Bedposts carved in the shape of a pineapple were a common sight at inns across the colonies.
The practice of using it as a symbol of hospitality is still carried on today by hotels and service industries.
The Maxwell Hotel in Seattle incorporated the pineapple as a symbol and it is found throughout the hotel. It is located at 300 Roy Street.
The Pineapple Inn is a Nantucket Luxury Hotel in the heart of the Nantucket Historic District offering suites for all needs and tastes since 1838. It is located on 10 Hussey Street, Nantucket, Maine.
As you wander through the stately homes of historic Charleston, you will observe it carved by artisans and craftsmen into fireplace mantels, sculpted into lintels and on some pieces of jewelry.
It became a favorite motif of architects. You will see it displayed throughout Charleston's historic landscape. It can be spotted on doors, atop gates, and most notably in one of the city's most popular destinations, Waterfront Park. The Pineapple Fountain opened in 1990 and has been a focal point of the park. It is one of Charleston's most photographed landmarks. Children are frequently seen splashing in the fountain, where wading is not only permitted but welcomed.
Around 1800, Francis Simmons, a Johns Island planter, built the neoclassical house located in the lower peninsula of Charleston at 14 Legare Street. It is famous for its large, brick gates with decorative wrought iron. The gates were installed by George Edwards, who owned the house in 1835. They bear his initials and include finials that were carved to resemble Italian pine cones. The finials are frequently referred to as pineapples by locals and the house has become known as the Pineapple Gates House.
If you should be driving in the historic district of Summerville on West Carolina, you will pass two houses with stone pineapples mounted on their brick fence entrances. As you drive passed, recall the old story of the sea captain spearing a pineapple on his fence extending hospitality to his neighbors.
Another place in the historic district of Summerville you will catch a glimpse of this custom being portrayed at an entrance is on W. 2nd S. Street.
On E Richardson sits a house built in 1858. The house has been recognized in several magazines and has been awarded a certificate from the Summerville Preservation Society. With an entrance flanked by red pineapples, It was at one time a bed and breakfast.
From a sea captain's fence post to colonial inn bedposts, the pineapple has invoked a sense of hospitality. It has inspired inn keepers to use it as a symbol on their establishments and architects and artisans to incorporate it into their works of art found throughout early American colonial history. Its supremacy as a welcoming symbol continues today. How sweet the "excellent fruit" is.
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