Ananas Bromeliad, Pink Pineapple, Dwarf Pineapple

this plant requires a minimum temperature of 59°F/15°C

This is an ornamental species of Pineapple from Brazil, cultivated by it´s pink inflorescence, that lately becomes a beautiful small yel...Read Morelowish pineapple. I got a plant from a cutting years ago, and it blooms repeatedly. I have so many buds that I don´t know what to do with them!

This plant has long, whorled, green-grey, leathery leaves with sharp spines. Unlike other bromeliads, the plant isn´t designed to store water in the middle of its leaves, although it has special hairs on the leaf surfaces that absorbs water, so watering the leaves is important.

The inflorescence already looks like a pineapple. It´s on the top of a 30-40cm tall stalk, also covered with those special hairs (it looks grey). The flowers are tubular, small, purple, and atracts birds. On the top of the pink inflorescence you have another whorl of leaves growing in there.

When flowers fade, the pineaple continues growing, and slowly changes its color from pink to pale yellow, while the crown continues growing, and new buds are formed on the base. Also, at least one new rosette should be growing on the base of the plant, originating the next plant, since this one will die after the fuit ripens.

The ripe fruit looks like a baby pineapple, of the size of a baseball (or a bit longer). It tastes good, but it´s a little more acid than the regular pineapple, the epicarp is relatively thicker and covered with tiny spiny bracts that makes you need to use gloves or something to protect your hands, so many people just leave it.

The crown and the buds of the inflorecence/fruit can be replanted. The new rosette can be left there, since it will substitute the mother plant.

It likes high temperature, moderate sun light, organic soil and regular watering.