A vibrantly colored baby pineapple. (Note how, at its "birth," the tiny fruit is nestled in a "nursery" of colorful, specialized, tender, pink leaves). Fruiting is this plant's final act. It puts all its stored energy into creating the fruit (a fruit that - at full maturity - is typically 30 times the body mass of the plant itself). After the fruit has fully matured and begins to ripen, the plant peacefully wilts in the sun with what seems like a delicious, final exhale, "Aaahhhhhhhhhhh............." This reproductive altruism is not uncommon with tropical plant species. This pineapple's birth is visible on the Paya Trail near Bliss Beach. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.
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