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Pineapple

Ananas comosus

A low, spiky bromeliad that grows a single fruit atop a central stalk, then sends out side shoots for the next crop. It's easy to grow in a sunny garden bed or a pot, even from a store-bought crown.

Tree facts

Scientific name
Ananas comosus
Origin
South America (southern Brazil and Paraguay)
Tree size
3–5 ft tall and wide
Growth rate
Slow to medium
Sun
Full sun; tolerates light shade
Soil
Sandy, acidic, fast-draining soil. Does well in pots.
Soil pH
4.5–6.5
Pollination
Not needed: fruit forms without pollination and is seedless; hummingbird pollination can cause hard seeds
Cold hardiness
Damaged near 32°F; protect plants or bring pots indoors
USDA zones
10–11 (9 with protection, or anywhere in a pot)
Years to first fruit
18–24 months from a planted crown; slips and suckers fruit sooner
Season
Jun–Sep
Water
About every 10 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 60 days, Mar–Oct
Taste
Sweet, juicy and tangy; low-acid white types are milder and very sweet
Nutrition
High in vitamin C and manganese; contains the enzyme bromelain

Is pineapple safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Ripe flesh, raw, cooked or juiced
  • Core (tough but edible)
  • Peel, fermented into tepache

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Take care: Bromelain breaks down proteins and can make the mouth, lips and tongue sore or tingly, especially with underripe fruit or large amounts. Cooking or canning destroys it.
  • Good to know: Unripe pineapple is harsh and acidic and can upset the stomach. Eat only ripe fruit.
  • Good to know: Many types have sharp, spiny leaf edges and pointed tips. Wear gloves and eye protection when harvesting or weeding around plants.

Pets: Ripe flesh is fine for dogs in small amounts. Keep the leaves, skin and core away from pets.

How to eat and enjoy pineapple

  • Fresh, cut into spears or rings
  • Grilled pineapple and tacos al pastor
  • Tepache, a fermented peel drink (Mexico)
  • Piña colada, smoothies and juice
  • Pineapple upside-down cake

When it's ripe

The shell turns from green to yellow, starting at the base, and the fruit smells sweet at the bottom. Pick when about a third to half of the shell has colored; pineapples don't get sweeter after picking, only softer.

Storing it

Keep whole fruit at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Cut fruit keeps 3–5 days refrigerated. Chunks freeze well.

Pineapple varieties (6)

  • Abacaxi · also Pernambuco

    A Brazilian pineapple with juicy, white, very sweet flesh.

    Origin: Brazil · Taste: Very sweet, juicy · Size: Medium

    Spiny leaves; more prone to disease than Smooth Cayenne.

  • Kona Sugarloaf · also Sugarloaf, Sugar Loaf

    A white-fleshed, low-acid pineapple so sweet and tender that the core can be eaten.

    Origin: Hawaii · Taste: Very sweet, low acid · Size: Medium

  • MD-2 · also Gold, Del Monte Gold, Golden

    The supermarket standard: a sweet, low-acid, golden-fleshed hybrid.

    Origin: Hawaii · Taste: Very sweet, low acid · Size: Large

  • Natal Queen · also Queen

    A small, spiny pineapple with crisp, golden, very sweet flesh.

    Taste: Very sweet, crisp · Size: Small

  • Red Spanish

    A hardy, spiny Caribbean pineapple once Florida's main crop, with reddish skin and pale, fragrant flesh.

    Taste: Tangy, aromatic · Size: Medium

    Tough and disease-resistant.

  • Smooth Cayenne · also Cayenne

    The classic Hawaiian canning pineapple: large, juicy and tangy-sweet, with nearly spineless leaves.

    Taste: Sweet-tart, juicy · Size: Large

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing pineapples? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your pineapple needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.