Waitrose Pineapple Christmas Trees Photo Credit Matthew Stansfield 1

Pineapples are the new fir trees, according to Waitrose Credit Matthew Stansfield

Pineapples have been one of the biggest fruit trends of the year after appearing on anything from homeware to Halloween carving.

Now Waitrose said a new craze to decorate a pineapple as a fruity Christmas tree has emerged, with sales soaring by 155 per cent during the festive season so far.

Photos of the tropical creations, complete with baubles and sparkly lights, are being posted on platform such as Instagram or Pinterest, Waitrose said.

The retailer said one reason behind the trend is the convenient size of a pineapple, making them a popular choice for those with smaller living spaces.

Waitrose’s Beth Wakeling said: 'Pineapples are a fun choice for people with small living rooms or an inventive centre piece for Christmas party hosts.

“The bestselling sizes of the fruit are large and extra large, showing that shoppers are embracing this kitsch trend. They make the perfect tree with a tropical twist as they only take minutes to decorate and the best thing is you can eat them afterwards.”

Waitrose whole pineapples are grown in Costa Rica and are sold in a range of formats from super sweet small sizes for £1, to extra large for £2.49.