The pineapple, scientifically known as Ananas comosus, is often mistaken for a root or tuber due to its unique, armored appearance. However, it is a complex fruit that grows above ground on a herbaceous plant. This tropical favorite has an unusual formation, unlike most common fruits found in the grocery store.
The Botanical Classification of Pineapple
The edible part of the plant is botanically classified as a multiple fruit, also known as a composite fruit or a sorosis. The pineapple develops from an entire cluster of individual flowers, called an inflorescence, rather than from a single flower like an apple or a peach. The plant’s central stalk produces a dense, cone-shaped arrangement of up to 200 small flowers, each supported by a specialized leaf called a bract.
Fusion and Structure
As the flowers mature, their individual fruits—technically berries—begin to fuse with the bracts and the central axis of the stalk. This fusion creates the single, large, fleshy structure recognized as the pineapple. The tough, spiky exterior is a remnant of the original flower bases and surrounding bracts. Each hexagonal “eye” marks the location of a former blossom.
Anatomy of the Pineapple Plant
The pineapple plant is a herbaceous perennial, typically growing 3 to 5 feet tall, and is a member of the bromeliad family. It has a short, stocky stem surrounded by a dense rosette of long, waxy, trough-shaped leaves. These tough, spiny leaves help the plant minimize water loss in warm, tropical conditions.
Root System
The plant’s true root system is shallow, fibrous, and adventitious, meaning the roots develop from the stem rather than a primary root. This structure primarily anchors the plant and absorbs water and nutrients from the upper soil layers. The plant can also develop small “axillary roots” in the leaf bases, which absorb moisture and dissolved nutrients directly from water collected in the leaf cups.
How Pineapples Grow and are Harvested
Pineapple plants are typically propagated from vegetative material, such as a slip, a sucker, or the crown of leaves from the top of the fruit. Starting a new plant from a cutting, rather than a seed, further distinguishes it from root crops. The plant requires a significant amount of time to produce a mature fruit, often taking between 18 and 24 months from planting to harvest.
Harvesting
The fruit grows on a thick stalk that emerges from the center of the leafy rosette, demonstrating its above-ground growth pattern. Once the fruit has ripened, it is harvested by simply cutting it from the stalk, as the plant does not release the fruit naturally. After producing the main fruit, the plant may develop side shoots that can be left to grow a smaller, second fruit or removed for use as new planting material.