The pineapple, Ananas comosus, is a tropical plant celebrated for its sweet, edible fruit. This plant is not a tree, but rather an herbaceous perennial, growing as a low-lying, clump-forming bush with sword-shaped, waxy leaves arranged in a rosette pattern. The pineapple belongs to the Bromeliad family and produces a single fruit atop a central stalk. While native to South America, the plant can be successfully grown in containers indoors or outdoors, provided the climate is warm and sunny, allowing gardeners in many regions to attempt growing their own fruit with patience.
Propagating a Pineapple Plant from a Crown
Growing a pineapple begins with selecting a healthy fruit from a grocery store, looking for one with firm, green leaves and a golden-brown skin. The leafy top, known as the crown, must be separated from the fruit. This is done by firmly grasping the body of the fruit and twisting the crown off. If twisting is difficult, a knife can be used to slice off the top, leaving about an inch of fruit attached, which must then be carefully trimmed away to expose the core.
Once the crown is removed, the fleshy fruit remnants must be entirely scraped off to prevent rot. The lower few layers of leaves should be stripped away to reveal small, brown root nodes on the central stem. This exposed stem should be allowed to dry or “cure” for several days in a warm, airy spot away from direct sunlight. Curing allows the wound to callous over, significantly reducing the risk of fungal or bacterial infection once the crown is placed in a rooting medium.
After curing, the crown can be rooted either in water or directly in soil. For water rooting, suspend the crown in a glass of water, ensuring only the exposed stem base is submerged, and change the water every few days until roots develop. The more reliable method is planting directly into a well-draining potting mix, such as a blend of perlite and peat moss. Keep the soil lightly moist until the root system has established itself, which typically takes six to eight weeks.
Ongoing Care and Environmental Requirements
After successful rooting, the pineapple plant requires consistent and bright environmental conditions to support the vegetative growth phase. The plant needs full, direct sunlight for at least six hours daily to build up the energy reserves needed for eventual fruiting. If growing indoors, a south-facing window is usually necessary, and supplemental grow lights may be required during winter months to maintain vigorous growth.
The plant’s tropical origin means it thrives in warm temperatures, ideally between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It is highly susceptible to frost, which necessitates bringing container plants indoors before temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The planting medium must be well-draining and slightly acidic, with a pH range of 4.5 to 5.6. Watering should be infrequent, allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry out completely between applications, since overwatering is the most common cause of root rot.
Fertilization should be done monthly during the active growing season of spring and summer, using a balanced fertilizer diluted to half-strength. The fertilizer should be applied to the soil, but also lightly poured into the leaf axils, or cups, of the central rosette. As a bromeliad, the pineapple plant can absorb water and nutrients through its foliage. Proper care during this vegetative stage is important, as the plant must reach a certain size, generally with 30 or more healthy leaves, before it can be successfully induced to flower.
Inducing Flowers and Harvesting the Fruit
A pineapple plant grown from a crown requires patience, as it can take 18 to 36 months of vegetative growth before it is mature enough to flower. While natural flowering occurs when the plant is ready, home growers often need to “force” the bloom. The common and safest method for induction utilizes ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that triggers flowering in mature pineapples.
To induce flowering, place the potted plant inside a large, clear plastic bag along with several pieces of ripening fruit, such as apples or bananas. Seal the bag tightly to concentrate the gas and leave it for approximately one week in a warm, shaded location. This exposure to ethylene should stimulate the plant to produce a flower stalk, which will be visible as a small, reddish cone emerging from the center of the leaf rosette within a few months.
After the flower stalk appears, it will develop into a cluster of small, violet-blue flowers that form the single, compound fruit. It takes approximately five to seven months from the appearance of the flower to the maturation of the fruit. Harvesting should only occur when the pineapple is fully ripe on the plant, as it will not significantly increase in sweetness after being picked. A ripe pineapple will begin to turn golden-yellow from the base upward and emit a sweet, fragrant aroma. Once at least one-third of the fruit has changed color, it can be harvested by cutting the stalk near the base of the pineapple with a sharp knife.