Pine cones used to be called pineapples and
pineapples got the name because they resembled pine cones.
Originally, the word
pineapple in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was
used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now
called pine cones).
When European explorers
discovered the tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them
pineapples, because they resembled pine cones (with the original
name). Most European countries eventually adapted, and still use
the name ananas, which came from the Tupi word nanas (also
meaning pineapple).
Incidentally, The pineapple “fruit” is not really a fruit,
but is a mass of individual berries fused to the central
stalk. This is why the “fruit” has leaves on top. They are
actually the continued growth of the stalk beyond where the
berries are attached. Pineapples are not grown from seed.