Pineapple Plant Care at Home: Your Complete Guide
While you have likely eaten the bright yellow pineapple fruit, you may not know that you can grow a pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) as a houseplant. What’s great is they’re typically available year-round from most plant delivery specialists, and pineapple plant care at home is reasonably straightforward as long as you provide the tropical conditions they love. Their large leaves and exotic look liven up any home. But, producing fruit takes some patience. You’ll fall even more in love with this plant once you are rewarded with the exquisite flower and fruit.
Pineapple Plant Care – Key Takeaways:
| Common Name: | Pineapple Plant |
| Scientific Name: | Ananas comosus |
| Native Range: | South America |
| Soil: | Well-draining, loamy soil mixed with sand; slightly acidic pH |
| Light: | Bright, direct sunlight for at least 8 hours per day |
| Watering: | Water thoroughly when the top half of the soil is dry; allow excess water to drain; be careful not to overwater |
| Temperature: | Ideal range is between 65-95°F (18-35°C); can tolerate temperatures as low as 60°F (16°C) but not frost |
| Fertilizing: | Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer with a ratio of 10-10-10, once a month during the growing season (spring and summer) |
| Pruning: | Prune dead or yellowing leaves to maintain appearance; propagation usually through suckers or slips |
| Pests: | Common pests include mealybugs, scale, and spider mites; they can be managed with regular cleaning, appropriate watering, and the use of insecticidal soaps or neem oil if needed |
| Toxicity: | Non-toxic to pets and humans; however, it’s always best to keep plants out of reach from pets and small children |
How to Grow Pineapple Plants Indoors at Home
Growth Expectations
Pineapple plants are relatively slow-growing and max out at 2-4 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide. As the plants grow, they produce more leaves. Once the plant has 25 leaves, it may flower and fruit under the right conditions.
What to Do Before Planting
- Select a container. Even when pineapples grow large, they have a shallow root system. Therefore, they don’t require huge containers — a one-gallon container works for a juvenile plant, and a five-gallon container is large enough for a mature plant. Ensure the pot has adequate drainage holes.
- Find a warm and sunny location. Pineapple plants will struggle if the temperature falls below 65ºF, so find a location away from cold drafts or windows. Ensure the area receives at least 12 hours of bright, direct light during the summer.
- Account for growth. When you choose a location for your container and plant, remember that pineapple plants can grow up to five feet wide.
Best Soil Types:
Pineapple plants perform best in a soil mix with the following characteristics.
Slightly acidic: Aim for a potting mix with a pH of 4.5 to 6.5, as pineapple plants do not like basic soil.
Well-draining: Even though pineapple plants are native to the tropics, they hate sitting in standing water. Materials such as perlite, coco chips, and pine bark will increase drainage.
How to Plant
To plant a pineapple plant, follow these steps.
- Fill the container with soil mix. Using a soil mix like that described above, fill your container 2/3 of the way full.
- Place the plant in the container. Place roots into the soil and cover with more soil mix. It’s okay to cover the base of the bottom leaves.
- Loosely tamp the soil. Pineapple plants like a bit of air around their roots, so don’t compact the soil too much.
Light Preferences
Pineapple plants need lots of bright light. In the summer, they should receive at least 8 hours of sunlight daily. Unlike a lot of houseplants, they prefer direct sunlight.
An area near a large south-facing window is often the best choice.
Temperature & Humidity
As a tropical plant, it’s no surprise these plants love hot and humid conditions.
Aim to keep the air temperature between 65-85ºF to keep your plants happy. Also, avoid areas that receive cold drafts, such as near exterior doors.
To provide humidity, mist your pineapple plant once a week.
Pineapple Plant Care
Watering
Pineapple plants need regular watering, but they are also drought-tolerant. The most important tip is not to overwater since these plants hate sitting in standing water.
As with most plants, watering frequency depends on several environmental factors. With that said, water your pineapple plant when the top inch of soil dries out.
Plants require more water in the summer when they are actively growing and transpiring. As the darker days of winter arrive, plants will require less frequent watering.
Your pineapple plant will also require more water in hot and dry conditions than in humid, cooler conditions.
Fertilizing
During the late spring through early fall, fertilize every two weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. In the late fall through early spring, fertilize once every two months.
Pruning
Pineapple plants don’t require regular pruning, but you may remove suckers as they appear.
When you see suckers, aka pups, growing from your pineapple plant, you can remove them with a sharp knife. Simply cut the pups off at their base.
Propagating
Fortunately, it’s easy to propagate pineapple plants via several different methods.
Propagating from a Pineapple Fruit
Even if you don’t have access to a pineapple plant, you can start growing one at home with the help of a store-bought fruit. You can add a pineapple plant to your home following simple steps.
- Choose a healthy fruit. Look for a pineapple that has bright green leaves.
- Remove the top. Once you get your fruit home, remove the leafy top from the fruit. Make sure to remove any remaining fruit flesh from the base of the top. Strip off a few lower leaves to remove 1/4” of the base.
- Place in soil. Place the top into the ground so the bottom leaves flush with the surface.’
- Place in a warm sunny location. The cutting will thrive in an environment similar to established pineapple plants.
- Water. As the plant is forming roots, water about once a week.
- Wait. Within two months, the plant should form roots. After this point, you will notice new growth.
Propagating from Suckers and Slips
Although pineapple plants die once they produce fruit, they will produce material that can be used to propagate new pineapple plants.
A sucker is a small plant offset that forms on the stem from auxiliary buds. A slip is also an offset, but it grows from below the pineapple fruit from a leaf axil.
You can propagate suckers and slips following these steps.
- Remove the sucker/slip. Use your hands to grab the sucker, slip at the base, and twist off from the rest of the plant. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife to remove the starting material.
- Dry. Once you’ve removed the material, set it in a dry, dark location to dry for two or three days. This allows the tissue to form a scar over its wound.
- Plant. Place the sucker or slip in a container filled with a well-draining soil mix. Only cover the bottom 1/2” of the material with soil.
- Wait. Place the planted material in a location preferred by mature pineapple plants. After one to two months, your offset should form roots and resume growth.
Repotting
Since pineapple plants have shallow root systems and don’t live for more than five years, they rarely need to be repotted. If you see your plant is outgrowing its current container, it’s time to repot.
It’s best to repot pineapple plants in the late fall to winter when they are not actively growing. Choose a pot of a similar size, add fresh potting soil, and place the plant in the pot.
Common Problems & How to Treat Them
Pineapple plants are easy to care for, but that doesn’t mean they’re problem-free. Keep an eye out for the following.
Common Pests
Mealybugs are white, waxy insects that suck sap from pineapple plant leaves. They deposit a sugary substance called honeydew, which encourages the growth of black mold.
Scale insects are flat, round insects that also suck sap. They often cause rust-colored spots on pineapple leaves.
If you notice a small number of mealybugs or scale insects, remove them by hand. If your plant has a large infestation, you may spray the insects with neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Why won’t my Pineapple Plant flower?
Even after your plant fully matures, it might not produce flowers and fruit. If this is the case, the first step is to check your environment.
Ensure your plant receives at least 8 hours of light in the summer and the temperature is above 65ºF. If the environment looks good, you can attempt to induce flowering.
Flowering in plants is triggered by the gaseous hormone ethylene. Apples produce large amounts of ethylene, so they help encourage plants to bloom.
Wrapping Up
Pineapple plants add a stunning bit of the tropics to your home and may even provide a beautiful fruit. As long as you provide the warm, humid environment these plants love, they will thrive in any home.
Briana holds a B.S. in Plant Sciences from Penn State University. She manages a small market garden where she grows vegetables and herbs. She also enjoys growing flowers and houseplants at home.
My pineapple plant has a hard stem left in the middle where a pineapple was cut off. Does it need to be pulled out?
Hi Freda! No, you don’t need to pull out the hard stem left in the middle where the pineapple was cut off. This stem, commonly called the “crown,” can actually be beneficial for the plant. In many cases, new shoots, known as “suckers” or “ratoons,” will grow from the sides of this stem. Sometimes, these can eventually develop into new pineapple plants.
My pineapple plant is finally producing fruit, after 7 years. Why is the fruit getting little flowers
It sounds like your pineapple fruit is exhibiting a phenomenon known as “vivipary,” where small flower-like growths or actual tiny plants start growing on the fruit. This is relatively rare but not unheard of in pineapples and a few other types of fruit. Vivipary in pineapples can occur when the seeds inside the pineapple germinate while still inside the fruit. If your pineapple is showing these signs and you intend to eat the fruit, it’s generally best to harvest it sooner rather than later. The small plants growing on the fruit can be removed and potentially rooted to grow new pineapple plants, which could be a fun gardening project as well!
My on apple plant was outside and attacked by chipmunks which ate a piece out of the fruit. I have since moved it inside but the fruit on the top is leaning off to the side at least 70 degrees. Do I cut off the fruit, do I prop it up or do I just cut the stalk? The side which has the chunk takes out has the plant smelling like a pineapple as soon as I walk into the room, smells good but looks awful.
Hi! The smell you’re noticing is likely due to the fruit beginning to ferment or break down, which can attract pests or lead to further issues with the plant. Given the situation, here’s what I recommend:
1. Remove the Fruit: Since the fruit is heavily damaged, leaning, and emitting a strong smell, it’s best to remove it. The damage could cause the fruit to rot, which might attract pests or lead to disease. Additionally, the leaning could put unnecessary strain on the plant.
2. Use a clean, sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears to cut the fruit off at the stem, as close to the fruit as possible. This will prevent any potential rot from spreading to the rest of the plant.
3. After removing the fruit, check the plant and the stalk for any signs of damage or disease. If the stalk looks healthy, you can leave it as is. If you notice any signs of rot or decay on the stalk, you might need to trim it back to healthy tissue.
4. Ensure the plant is placed in a suitable indoor environment with enough light and proper watering. Monitor the plant for any further signs of stress or disease following the fruit removal.