Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are native to South America, specifically originating from the region around the Paraná and Paraguay Rivers, which includes parts of southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina
. They are thought to have originated in the Amazon rainforest area bordering Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay
. The pineapple was domesticated and cultivated by Indigenous peoples in these regions for many centuries before spreading throughout South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean
. The fruit was first encountered by Europeans when Christopher Columbus found it in Guadeloupe in 1493, after which it was introduced to Europe and other parts of the world
. Although widely associated with places like Hawaii today, pineapples are not native there but were introduced much later for commercial cultivation
. In summary, pineapples are native to tropical and subtropical America, with their original wild habitat in South America, particularly in areas of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina
