Ornamental Pineapples in Fruit

[PalmatierMeg]

I have several potted ornamental pineapples on our property and two are producing colorful but inedible pineapples. Then they will slowly die as they are monocarpic.

1) Variegated Large Pineapple

2) Red Pineapple

[Kevin S]

 I hate to break the news to you but even after that fruit is done the side shoots are going to still be around to flower and fruit for you so in other words you’re going to have that pineapple plant forever unless it dies out from lack of water or cold or something.

[aussiearoids]

[PalmatierMeg]

8 hours ago, Kevin S said:

 I hate to break the news to you but even after that fruit is done the side shoots are going to still be around to flower and fruit for you so in other words you’re going to have that pineapple plant forever unless it dies out from lack of water or cold or something.

I know from experience. Both plants are offspring of offspring of original mother plants. I plan to keep just one offset of each.

[JenRiot321]

I picked up a nice sized rooted offset of a bromelia pinguin the other day (those spines are no joke and i’m used to getting poked by sharp plants!). I’ve heard they’re called wild pineapple and have a fruit that’s edible and somewhat interesting. Anyone have experience with these?

[Silas_Sancona]

15 minutes ago, JenRiot321 said:

I picked up a nice sized rooted offset of a bromelia pinguin the other day (those spines are no joke and i’m used to getting poked by sharp plants!). I’ve heard they’re called wild pineapple and have a fruit that’s edible and somewhat interesting. Anyone have experience with these?

Jen,  You will enjoy it ..and hate it a little ( primarily the spines, no joke at all, lol ) If you decide to put it in the ground, they can spread out by runners called Rantoons. Easy to cut off if you don't want any extras, pass on babies to friends, etc.  or let them form a clump.  Will get big over time though.. Pretty easy grower, not all that fussy as far as i know. Whole patch of these grew in an abandoned lot behind my old apartment in Florida.

As for the fruit, also have heard they're edible though, by the same account, have heard they can be bitter / acidic ( like Lemons / Limes ), and that you don't want to consume large amounts at any one time.

Best aspect of this plant, besides being a bad arse Bromeliad, lol.. imo, is what can happen as they are getting ready to flower.. New leaves will turn bright Red. ( Picture below)



Like i said, you'll like it, and curse it sometimes..

-Nathan
 

[JenRiot321]

13 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Best aspect of this plant, besides being a bad arse Bromeliad, lol.. imo, is what can happen as they are getting ready to flower.. New leaves will turn bright Red. ( Picture below)

 

The gorgeous flush of red in the center when flowering is one of the primary reasons I got it! I’ve become obsessed with the “sunset bromeliads” like sincoraea, but given that I have yet to find any for sale or trade this was the closest I could find! Definitely excited about it though. Mine is already probably almost two feet tall and it’s just an offshoot so I imagine they get very large! It will go into a nice out of the way place when we buy our eventual home so I can enjoy it without ripping open my arms or legs! Haha!

Do you know if these enjoy having extra water in the center (or “frog spas” as I like to view them) like other broms? I haven’t been able to get a good answer on whether or not pineapples or bromelia need this type of extra bit of watering. Of course, if it rains on them water will collect where it will, but if i’m watering with a hose i’m more wondering if I should make sure to put extra water in the center. Thanks!

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, JenRiot321 said:

The gorgeous flush of red in the center when flowering is one of the primary reasons I got it! I’ve become obsessed with the “sunset bromeliads” like sincoraea, but given that I have yet to find any for sale or trade this was the closest I could find! Definitely excited about it though. Mine is already probably almost two feet tall and it’s just an offshoot so I imagine they get very large! It will go into a nice out of the way place when we buy our eventual home so I can enjoy it without ripping open my arms or legs! Haha!

Do you know if these enjoy having extra water in the center (or “frog spas” as I like to view them) like other broms? I haven’t been able to get a good answer on whether or not pineapples or bromelia need this type of extra bit of watering. Of course, if it rains on them water will collect where it will, but if i’m watering with a hose i’m more wondering if I should make sure to put extra water in the center. Thanks!

While i don't think any water that gets in the crown will hurt them, ( unless  maybe it freezes ) they really don't collect water like Neoregelia and other tank -type Broms.  Seem to behave more like Dyckias and Hechtia from what i have observed.  Agree w /you regarding Sincoreaes, would love to find a few myself..

[JenRiot321]

19 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

While i don't think any water that gets in the crown will hurt them, ( unless  maybe it freezes ) they really don't collect water like Neoregelia and other tank -type Broms.  Seem to behave more like Dyckias and Hechtia from what i have observed. 

Great! That’s the kind of info I was looking for. We don’t get hard freezes here but I still wouldn’t want to risk getting them too wet in the center if I can help it. Thanks!

[Merlyn]

I bought 1 large clump of the red ornamental pineapple last fall, and split it into 1 big plant (with several offshoots) and a couple of small offshoots.  I think the ornamental red one is called "Lava Burst" and my edible & ornamental one is "White Jade."  Both are growing pineapples this morning, though the ornamental one pretty much stopped growing at about 2" diameter.  Supposedly that's where it normally stops growing, and then it'll grow a new plant out of the top.  Both plants have grown pretty decent offsets, but the red one is prolific!  I probably have 10-15 offsets in the past 6 months!

[Kevin S]

 Took a photo of my neighbors red pineapple 

[Fisheye]

How do I know when to harvest a varigated pineapple

[Alan_Tampa]

I've eaten the pink one, it seemed okay, was a bit more crunchy than regular pineapples. 

 

And you can tell when a pineapple is ripe when it disappears overnight.  You can try smelling it every few days and sniff for sweat, but there is a racoon watching you sniff his fruit! They are pros!

[amh]

1 hour ago, Alan_Tampa said:

I've eaten the pink one, it seemed okay, was a bit more crunchy than regular pineapples. 

 

And you can tell when a pineapple is ripe when it disappears overnight.  You can try smelling it every few days and sniff for sweat, but there is a racoon watching you sniff his fruit! They are pros!

I have two Kona sugarloafs flowering now. They have survived multiple cat and white tail deer attacks on the plants, so now I'll have to defend the fruit from both opossum and raccoon.

Edited April 24, 2022 by amh

[Alan_Tampa]

Sniff for sweet,  not sweat.

[bubba]

Beautiful unedible pineapples. My mother‘s family, who arrived in 1904 in PB area, farmed pineapples (edible variety), for as far as the eye could see. Old stories about their use for a concoction called pineapple rum! 
 

I saw where Dole is once again growing these commercially somewhere in the state. Go pineapples!

[realarch]

Picked these ornamentals up a few years ago at a local garden show, unfortunately I’ve lost the name tag. Pretty cool looking though. 

Tim