Pineapple
Ananas comosus
Also called Ananas
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitTwist the top off a shop pineapple, strip the lowest leaves, let the stump dry two days and pot it — that is the whole propagation. It takes two to three years to fruit, needs warmth and strong light, and the parent dies after fruiting once.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 12 daysSoak, then bone-dry — wait until the soil is dry right through — lift the pot, it tells you.
- Light
- As much direct sun as you can give it
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Tropical — indoors, warm RHS H1A, to 15°C
- Size
- 1 m tall · 1 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Southern Brazil and Paraguay
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Neither authority names Ananas. That is an absence and not a clean bill. The leaf margins are finely toothed and will cut — a handling matter rather than a toxicity one.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A twisted-off top that goes soft and brown at the base within a fortnight. Strip the lowest leaves, let the stump DRY for two days before it touches compost, and keep it barely moist after.The crown rotting instead of rooting · disease
- The plant fades once the fruit is cut, while small offsets appear round its base. That is the whole of its life cycle — pot the offsets on and the line continues.The parent dying after fruiting · disorder