# Pineapple (*Ananas comosus*)

Pineapples are tropical fruits with a spiky, rough skin and sweet, juicy insides. They grow on a plant close to the ground and are a delicious snack or addition to meals.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Tropical regions

![Pineapple](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Nanas_variegata_cheche.jpg&width=800)

Photo: VpuipV ,pemegang hak cipta, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nanas_variegata_cheche.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pineapple is a tropical plant with a rosette of long, spiky green leaves. Its iconic fruit features a rough, golden-brown, segmented skin topped with a crown of stiff, bluish-green foliage, making it instantly recognizable.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Poales
- **Family:** Bromeliaceae
- **Genus:** Ananas

## Interesting facts

- A pineapple isn't one fruit; it's hundreds of tiny berries fused into one giant fruit!
- It takes over two years for a single pineapple fruit to fully ripen on the plant!
- Pineapple contains an enzyme that actually helps break down protein, even in your mouth!
- You can easily grow your very own pineapple plant just by planting the leafy top of a fruit!

## Special abilities

- **Water Hoarder:** Pineapple can collect and store rainwater in its overlapping leaf bases, providing a vital water supply in dry conditions.
- **Self-Protection:** Pineapple has sharp, spiky leaves and a thick, segmented skin that helps protect its delicious fruit from hungry animals.
- **Clone Maker:** Pineapple can regenerate a new plant from the leafy crown of its fruit, allowing it to easily make clones of itself.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-150 cm
- **Spread:** 60-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round in suitable climates
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Helps transfer pollen between pineapple flowers.
- **Parasitizes:** Pineapple mealybug (*Dysmicoccus brevipes*) — Sucks sap from pineapple leaves, weakening the plant.
- **Eaten by:** [Jamaican fruit bat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/jamaican-fruit-bat) (*Artibeus jamaicensis*) — Feeds on ripe pineapple fruit in its native habitat.

## Traits

- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Fruits](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fruits)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult to help you cut a pineapple as they are tough to cut.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pineapple?

Compare the fruit's shape, skin, how it attaches, the leaves and the plant's growth form. Ripeness and cultivated varieties can change both color and size. Fruit Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Pineapple?

100-150 cm

### How wide does Pineapple spread?

60-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Pineapple?

1-2 cm

### When does Pineapple bloom?

Year-round in suitable climates

### Is Pineapple edible?

Yes

### Is Pineapple toxic?

None

### What is Pineapple's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Muskauer Park (Bad Muskau)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/muskauer-park-bad-muskau) — Sachsen, DE · Park
- [Klostergarten Seligenstadt](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/klostergarten-seligenstadt) — Hessen, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Pineapple: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pineapple)