COLUMNIST: LAURA FRANCES
What if I told you that exotic fruits have a long history of being grown in Scotland? In particular, the pineapple.
You may wonder how such an exotic fruit could possibly be grown in the cold, unpredictable climate of Scotland when we tend to associate them with tropical shores, but the pineapple came to be a popular choice among Scottish gardeners as far back as the 18th century where it served as a status symbol for those in the upper echelons of society.
The rise of intercontinental travel in the early 17th century meant that Scots were being exposed to cultures and foods that had not yet been encountered. Prior to this, Christopher Columbus is said to have first discovered exotic fruits, such as the pineapple, in the 15th century after travelling to the Caribbean island of Guadalupe.
Pineapples began to be imported to Europe, but this was a luxury only the wealthy could afford due to the fact that pineapples could not be grown outdoors in the unpredictable climate of the United Kingdom. Recorded prices from the 17th century show pineapples costing as much as 8 shillings per pound, or £45 in today’s currency.
To own a pineapple therefore, was a symbol of wealth and status in 17th century Scotland. In fact, many people would not even eat their purchased pineapples and would instead display them in their homes so that guests could marvel at them during dinner parties.
During this time period, those with large Scottish gardens preferred to have walled gardens, as this type of enclosure would shield plants from strong winds and the walls would absorb heat from the sun during spring and summer. This still however, left horticulturists with only a small handful of options when it came to choosing which crops to grow, due to Scotland’s tendency for harsh weather. That was, until the invention of the glasshouse.
The glasshouse, or ‘hot house’, came to be popular in the late 17th century, making it possible to grow exotic plants and fruits in less forgiving climates. This was because crops were kept indoors, sheltered from poor weather, and had the added benefit of the glass being able to absorb and conserve heat.
The first Scottish person to use such a commodity to propagate pineapples, or ‘ananas’ as they were known, was James Justice in 1728. He was a principal clerk of the Court of Session, but gardening was his favourite hobby and he eventually came to be known as ‘the father of Scottish gardening’. In a letter to members of The Royal Society in 1728, Justice wrote, “I have eight of the ananas in fine fruit.”
James Justice was appointed as a fellow of The Royal Society in 1730, and the plant genus Justicia is named after him.
The growing of pineapples in Scotland boomed in the early 19th century due to the invention of sheet glass, which allowed people to more easily build their own glasshouses to grow tropical plants. The dawn of hot water heating systems also made it more possible to produce and conserve heat even in the colder months.
One of the best examples of the power and efficiency of glasshouses is the fact that so many are still used to this day in national botanic gardens. For example, the cast-iron Palm House Conservatory at Belfast Botanic Gardens was built in 1839 and is still used today to grow a large variety of tropical plants and flowers. In Scotland, you can take a trip to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens and visit The Temperate Palm House, which stands at almost 22 metres (72’) high and was built in 1858 to grow pineapples, bananas, and sugar cane.
Due to cheaper methods of acquiring pineapples, such as the canned alternative which became available after the 19th century, Scotland’s obsession with the fruit dwindled and it was no longer considered a luxury item. Scotland’s legacy though with the pineapple lives on, in the work of James Justice and his ananas, and within the tropical glasshouses that remain to this day.
Perhaps one of the biggest examples of Scotland’s pineapple legacy is The Pineapple in Dunmore, Stirlingshire. The National Trust site, based near Airth, was built in 1761 by John Murray, the 4th Earl of Dunmore. It was built with the intention of allowing the Earl of Dunmore to use it as a summerhouse, where he could spend time enjoying the views of the Dunmore Estate and the surrounding Dunmore Wood.
Initially, the site was built without the large pineapple adorning the front of the property, this pineapple was added later, for a special reason. John Murray went on to become the Governor of Virgina from 1771-1775, just before the War of Independence. According to tradition in Virginia, returning sailors would leave a pineapple on their doorstep to indicate that they were now home and could receive visitors.
After Murray’s stint as Governor, he returned to Scotland and ordered the large stone pineapple to be built, making it clear to the rest of the country that he was home and would not be leaving any time soon. The site had its own glasshouse where a large variety of tropical fruits and vegetables were grown. The walled garden still stands today, open to the public, as I am sure Mr. Murray would have liked.
Laura Frances is an editorial assistant with Scotland Grows, and a budding, brilliant writer.
You can catch up with Laura's gardening journey at @theebabygardener.
