Mention the word "pineapple" and most people immediately think of Hawaii or the tropics. But did you know that Florida was once a hub of pineapple cultivation - with thriving plantations from Fort Myers to Marco Island? This forgotten chapter of the Sunshine State's agricultural history is a fascinating tale of entrepreneurial spirit, natural abundance, and the ups and downs of the produce industry.
Pineapple Pioneers
The story of pineapples in Florida began in the 1860s, when early settlers like Benjamin Baker and Mr. Brantley started growing the spiky, sweet fruit on Plantation Key and Merritt Island. According to the University of Florida's IFAS Extension, pineapple cultivation expanded rapidly around 1899 thanks to the southward extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, which allowed growers to ship their bounty across the country.
Marco Island, with its ideal sandy soils and climate, became a major pineapple powerhouse - at one point shipping an estimated 50,000 pineapples in 1909 alone. Other hubs popped up in places like Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, and Horr's Island (now Key Marco), where captains like John Horr and Frederick Ludlow built thriving plantations.
Boom and Bust
What this really means is that pineapple was once a major cash crop for Florida, contributing to the economic development of coastal communities. The bigger picture here is that the industry's rapid growth and subsequent decline mirrors the boom-and-bust cycles that have defined the state's agricultural landscape for generations.
According to archival reports from the Fort Myers News-Press, the pineapple boom started to unravel in 1908 when a flood of Cuban imports undercut Florida growers. By 1910, the infamous "red wilt" disease was ravaging plantations along the Indian River. The industry never fully recovered, and pineapple faded into the background as Florida's economy shifted towards tourism and other cash crops.
Pineapple in the Modern Florida Garden
While commercial pineapple production in Florida is now a relic of the past, the spiky fruit has never truly disappeared from the state's landscape. According to the UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions website, pineapples can still be found growing in protected home gardens and landscapes across Florida, providing both ornamental and edible value.
So the next time you spot a pineapple growing in someone's yard, remember that it's a living link to Florida's forgotten agricultural legacy - a tasty remnant of the state's pineapple paradise.