A Beautiful Bromeliad

Ananas comosus, the pineapple, is a plant that grows well in the greenhouse. Over the past few years we have successfully grown pineapple fruits along with our other Bromeliad family plants. There are so many fun facts to share with you about pineapples that I hardly know where to begin!

Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay, where its wild relatives occur, the pineapple was apparently domesticated by the indigenous people there and carried by them up through South and Central America to Mexico and the West Indies long before the arrival of Europeans. The first European account of the pineapple was given by Christopher Columbus and his company, who landed on the island now known as Guadeloupe on their second voyage of discovery. Columbus brought the succulent fruit back to Europe in 1493. Its cylindrical shape and rough, spiky surface caused the Spaniards to name it pina, after the pine cone. The English noted the same resemblance, resulting in our name  “pineapple”.

King Charles of England receiving the gift of the first pineapple grown in England, 1675

Over the centuries, explorers carried pineapples and pineapple plants all over the world. They thrived in many tropical climates, perhaps most famously in Hawaii. Captain John Kidwell is most often credited with founding Hawaii’s pineapple industry. He began crop development trials in 1885 when he planted pineapple on the island of Oahu. It was, however, James Drummond Dole who is remembered for advancing the industry in Hawaii. In 1900 Dole purchased 61 acres in Oahu and began experimenting with pineapple. He incorporated the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901 and began commercial growing. Dole was known as Hawaii’s “Pineapple King”, and the brand name Dole is synonymous with pineapple. But today, Hawaii’s pineapple production does not even rank within the top ten of the world’s pineapple producers. Worldwide, the top producers are Thailand (13%), the Philippines (11%) and Brazil (10%). Hawaii produces only about two percent of the world’s pineapple.

James Dole, 1901

Historic Hawaiian pineapple plantation

Boat loaded with pineapples, 1910

Ananas comosus is a tropical plant limited (except in greenhouses) to low elevations between 30°N and 25°S. A temperature range of 65°- 95°F is most favorable. Ideal rainfall is about 45 inches per year, half in the spring and half in the fall; though the pineapple is drought tolerant and will produce fruit under yearly precipitation rates ranging from 25 to 150(!)  inches, depending on cultivar and location. They will grow well in full sun to light partial shade. The best soil for pineapple culture is a rich, well-drained, sandy loam. In the greenhouse they grow well in potting soil but do not like to be overwatered!

A herbaceous perennial, the pineapple grows 3.5 to 5.0 ft tall. It produces many flowers at once, up to 200 at a time. Once it flowers, the individual fruits of the flowers join together to create a cone-shaped, compound, juicy, fleshy fruit  — the pineapple. They can be propagated by planting the “crown” (the leafy top) of the fruit, or by planting the suckers which emerge from the sides and roots of the plant.

To the Carib native people, the pineapple symbolized hospitality, and the Spaniards soon learned they were welcome if a pineapple was placed by the entrance to a village. This symbolism of hospitality spread to Europe and eventually through colonial North America. The English colonies on the East Coast were a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment and information exchange. The concept of hospitality was a central element of the society’s daily life. Seafaring captains used to impale fresh pineapples–souvenirs of their travels to tropical ports–atop the porch railings of their homes when they returned. It was a sign that the captain and his family were home and would welcome visitors.

Colonial- era doorway with carved pineapple

This symbol of friendship and hospitality also became a favorite motif of architects, artisans and craftsmen throughout the colonies.The pineapple was seen painted on the front doors of homes, carved in finials atop gate-posts, entrance and porch columns, roof-tops, door lintels, bedposts and head-boards. Copper and brass pineapples were prominent in the weather vanes of public buildings. Pineapples were stenciled on walls and canvas mats. There were pineapples carved of wood, painted on fine china, and painted on the backs of chairs and tops of chests. Colonial needle-workers used the pineapple image for cross-stitch samplers, tablecloths, napkins, carpets, draperies, and crochet doilies.

If you visit the greenhouse, you will see a dwarf ornamental pineapple is just inside the Conservatory door to welcome you! Amid the food crop plants in greenhouse 113 and 111 you’ll find our full size plants with fruit. Although the flavor is not the same as pineapples grown outside in tropical fresh air and sunshine, the fragrance is incomparable! It fills the greenhouse as they ripen and makes my mouth water.

Ornamental dwarf pineapple in the Conservatory

Featured Plant: Poinsettia

(So many questions about poinsettias at this time of year! Here’s a “Featured Plant” post about these lovely holiday plants, from 2012. See you in 2015!)

December 12th is officially Poinsettia Day! These beautiful plants that we associate with the Christmas season have a fascinating history. They are native to the warm climate of Southern Mexico. They are found in the wild in deciduous tropical forest at moderate elevations down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico from Sinaloa to Chiapas and into Guatemala. They are also found in the interior of Mexico in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero and Oxaca. Although they are Euphorbias (Spurge Family), and were originally named Euphorbia pulcherrima, they were renamed Poinsettia pulcherrima to honor Joel Roberts Poinsett.

Poinsett was the first American ambassador to Mexico, and was very interested in botany. He often wandered the countryside looking for new and interesting plants. In 1828, as he was traveling through the Taxco region of the new Republic of Mexico, he saw a beautiful shrub with large red flowers and took cuttings, which he brought back to the greenhouse at his South Carolina home.

The modern American Poinsettia “industry” was created almost single-handedly by the Ecke family of California at the turn of the last century. This is a great American immigrant success story! From the website Poinsettiaday.com:

“Originally from Germany, Albert Ecke emigrated to the U.S, in 1906 and settled in the Hollywood area. The family lived off the land growing fruits and vegetables but were also, by 1909, selling cut Poinsettias at a stand on Sunset Boulevard. Poinsettias grew wild in the area and son Paul Ecke (Paul Sr.) had the idea that the ruby flowers would sell well around Christmas. This turned out to be so successful that in 1915 Albert Ecke bought five acres in nearby El Monte to grow poinsettias. By 1917 the Eckes were shipping plants to customers in New York and Chicago. When Albert died in 1919, Paul Sr. took over the flower business and though the family prospered, by 1923 the pressures of a rapidly urbanizing Hollywood led Paul Sr. to move the operation to 40 acres in Encinitas.

Workers at the Ecke Ranch, Encinitas, California,1939

In 1955 Paul Ecke Jr. returned with a degree in floriculture from Ohio State with ideas of his own about how to move forward with the family business. It took some doing but eventually he as able to convince Paul Sr. to move the growing out of the fields and into greenhouses. Paul Jr and the Ecke family had a secret technique that caused every seedling to branch, resulting in a fuller plant. Paul Jr. also took a very active role in marketing poinsettias, making them visible on television programs such as The Tonight Show, the Dinah Shore Show, and  Bob Hope’s Christmas Special. He also had them displayed in women’s magazines like The Ladies Home Journal and Better Homes & Gardens. By the time of his death in 2002, poinsettias were the number one selling potted plant in America, in part to his tireless promotional efforts.

Here are a few more Poinsettia facts:

• The Aztecs called them “Cuitlaxochitl”. Montezuma, the last Aztec emperor, had them brought by carts to adorn his city (what is now Mexico City).

• What look like the petals of flowers on the Poinsettia are actually bracts (modified leaves) and the flowers are only the small yellow centers.

• Poinsettias are NOT poisonous!

• Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in the United States and Canada and contribute over $250 million to the US economy at the retail level.

On a long-ago trip to San Francisco at New Years, I remember wandering through the back streets of that beautiful city and seeing Poinsettias growing as huge shrubs in tiny urban yards and gardens. It was the first time I had ever seen a tropical plant growing in an outdoor environment.

If you are interested in keeping your holiday poinsettia as a year round house plant and having it bloom again, the University of Illinois has a great website giving details of Poinsettia culture: The Poinsettia Pages.

Very Big Vegetables

(An October post, belated)

Just how giant IS a giant pumpkin? Read on…

When talking giant pumpkins, I have to mention that we are really proud of our very own Justin Ouellmette. Justin is a senior in Environmental Horticulture and Turfgrass Management here at URI. This past summer he decided to grow a giant pumpkin at his home garden in Tiverton. We got pumpkin updates over vacation and when school resumed in the fall too. The giant pumpkin was entered  in the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers Contest held Columbus Day weekend at Frerichs Farm in Warren, RI. Justin’s pumpkin weighed in (as a first- time grower) at a VERY respectable 817 pounds! Justin was kind enough to send me these pictures after I pestered him endlessly. Congratulations on your first giant pumpkin!

By the way, TWO world champion weight giant pumpkins have been grown right here  in the littlest state.

In 2007, the world champion giant pumpkin was grown by Joe Jutras, of North Scituate, RI and weighed 1689 pounds. Weigh-in was at the Topsfield Fair on September 29th, 2007.

2007 world record, 1689 pounds, grown by Joe Jutras

The world record pumpkin for 2012 was grown in Greene, Rhode Island by Ron and Dick Wallace and weighed 2009 lbs. The weigh-in was at the Topsfield Fair, on September 28, 2012. The first one-ton vegetable!

2012 World record, 2009 pounds, grown by Ron Wallace

The giants just keep getting bigger and bigger! If you are interested in growing giant vegetables, there is plenty of enthusiasm at Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers as well as Big Pumpkins and Topsfield Fair.

Have you ever grown a giant vegetable?? Let us know!