June 27th is National Pineapple Day.

It’s a lush, prickly, green-leafed ground fruit that is a delicious addition to just about any meal. It’s sweet and tangy on its own and is practically the definition of the word ‘tropical’. Want to make something tropical? Put a slice of this fruit on it. That’s right, we’re talking about the apple that isn’t an apple, the pine that isn’t a pine, the pineapple! Pineapple day is dedicated to this most tantalizing little fruit and the greatest myth of all… It doesn’t grow on a tree. Didn’t know that? You’re hardly alone, most people think this prickly fruit hangs on a tree like a coconut, Nope!

Pineapples are a tropical fruit native to the America’s, first found being consumed by the Tupi people. Their word for the fruit perfectly describes everyone’s reaction to this amazingly tangy treat, nanas “Excellent Fruit”. Pineapples are actually herbaceous perennials, meaning they are leafy, not woody, plants that grow for more than two years.

These plants are so ambitious in their growth that if you cut the fruit off of one stalk, it grows multiple more stalk called ‘suckers’ to produce more fruit! More than one pineapple per plant, that’s amazing! Since their discovery pineapples have been transported all over the world, as one of their unique traits is that once harvested, they tend to not continue to ripen. This gives them an amazing shelf life and lets them remain stored on a shelf for quite some time.

Pineapples are useful in so many things, from a stand-alone treat all on their own, to produce a very tasty fruit beverage full of vitamin C. If you’re the sort who likes a rich tropical beverage to cool you down on a hot day, then the Pineapple is half of the perfect solution, the Pina Colada… (And getting caught in the rain).