Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, a red pineapple
Ananas comosus var. bracteatus
- Exposures
- Sun, Half-shade
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11a (4.4°C ≤ T° < 7.2°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Bromeliaceae
- Genus
- Ananas
- Species
- Ananas comosus
Other names:Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, Ananas bracteatus var. striatus, Ananas bracteatus, Ananas sativus var. bracteatus, Ananassa bracteata, Ananas bracteatus var. striatus, Ananas bracteatus var. macrodontes, Ananas bracteatus var. rudis
With its red fruit and pink-variegated leaves, Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus could be mistaken for a cultivar. Think again! This plant from the Bromeliaceae family was not created by a scientist with a passion for colors. It grows wild in Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina.
How can you recognize Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus?
Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus is an erect herbaceous plant. It grows up to one meter tall.
The short stem is hidden by the rosette of leaves. It serves as a support for the inflorescence.
The leaves measure up to 1.5 meters long. Leathery and rigid, their margins are fringed with spines. The leaf blades are most often green. However, some Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus plants have foliage edged with yellow or red.
Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus is a monocarpic plant. It flowers only once in its lifetime. Its swan song takes the form of an inflorescence with pink or red bracts and blue flowers.
The plant then produces a small, bright red pineapple crowned with green leaves that are either solid green or variegated with yellow and pink. The fruit is edible, but its flesh, which is full of seeds, is less juicy than that of ananas comosus.
Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus is not toxic. You can grow it safely even if you live with young children or pets.
Our care tips
The Ananas comosus bracteatus the plants sold in garden centers, with their fruit, are already mature. So you won't need to repot your plant. However, place the pot on a dish filled with moist clay balls to increase humidity.
Watering
Water when the soil is dry, for about three centimeters. Use room-temperature, non-calcareous water, preferably rainwater. When watering, avoid wetting the leaves.
Thirty minutes after watering, drain off any stagnant water in the saucer. It may rot the roots.
To improve humidity, place your Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus with your other plants or place its pot on a dish of moist clay balls.
Misting
Spray foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature. In addition to increasing humidity, misting prevents the appearance of undesirable insects.
Repotting
Every year in the spring, repot your Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus to give it more space.
Your Ananas comosus bracteatus likes to be cramped. Repot it into a pot with drainage holes that is barely larger than the root ball.
Line the bottom of the pot with a well-draining substrate. You can use potting mix for bromeliads or for cacti and succulents. You can also make your own growing medium by mixing equal parts:
- potting mix for houseplants;
- bark;
- coconut fiber;
- perlite;
- sphagnum moss.
Plant your Ananas comosus bracteatus in the center and add the substrate. Pack it down and water to encourage root growth.
Place your pot on a tray of moist clay pellets to improve humidity.
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
Dilute green plant fertilizer with water.
Cleaning
Clean the leaves with a clean wet sponge. This removes dust and improves photosynthesis. It's also a way of preventing mite infestations.
Prune
To encourage the growth of your Ananas comosus bracteatus, prune regularly.
Remove yellowed leaves. They will not regain their color and are no longer useful to the plant. You can remove them by hand or with clean pruning shears.
Taking cuttings
The best time to take cuttings is after your Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus has bloomed.
Wait until the shoots are at least a third of the size of the main plant before removing them. Separate them with your hands or a clean, sharp instrument (pruning shears or scissors). Be sure to keep some roots for each cutting.
Prepare a pierced pot adapted to the size of your cutting.
Pour a layer of potting soil for cacti and succulents or for bromeliads into the bottom. You can also make your own growing medium by mixing equal parts of potting soil for green plants, bark, sphagnum moss, perlite and coconut fibre.
Plant your Ananas comosus bracteatus and add substrate. Tamp to remove air bubbles and water to encourage rooting.
Your plant appreciates humidity. Place the pot on a saucer filled with moist clay balls to increase humidity.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposures
- SunHalf-shade
- Substrates
- Humus soilSandy soil
- Planting method
- In pots
- Categories
- Fruit treeIndoorHerbaceous
- Tag
- Edible fruit
- Origin
- South America
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 11a (4.4°C ≤ T° < 7.2°C)
- Leaf colors
- Light greenRedYellow
- Flower color
- Blue
- Fruit color
- Red
Discover plants from the same family
Pink quill
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Find out more
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
