Origin story - Roy Batty managed thousands of hectares of pineapple production as well as a cannery in Africa before moving to America in the 80s. He worked for Libby Nestle in Collier County, a large domestic pineapple producer that also grew citrus in Central Florida. In the freeze of '89, Libby Nestle lost 500 acres of pineapples and their citrus groves and shut down operations. Roy started his nursery in Estero (off of Broadway?), selling pineapple plants in pots, then bought the Naples farm in 1995, and that's when he began to develop the 'Batty' cultivar.

‘Batty’ is immediately recognizable with its eye-catching striped foliage. It originates from a low-acid, white-fleshed variety of Smooth Cayenne called ‘Champaka’, a commercial variety imported to South Florida from Costa Rica. Roy and Nick Batty, a father-son team, selected plants from ‘Champaka’ that showed striped variegation on the leaves, initially cultivating and breeding them to sell as potted plants. Over the course of fifteen years, they stabilized the leaf striping, resulting in the distinct cultivar known today as ‘Batty’.

Flavor profile - Low-acid, white-fleshed.

Field notes - Resistant to wilt and rotting (Thielaviopsis?). Peak season is mid to late July.

Cultivar status -