Red pineapple Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Credit: Vinicius S Domungues

Fruit Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Credit: Diogo Luiz

Blue flowers Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Credit: Timm Stolten

Tricolor foliage Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Credit: Vinicius S. Domingues

Toothed leaf margins Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Credit: Jack Beetle

Pineapple comosus var. bracteatus, a red pineapple

With its red fruit and pink variegated leaves, Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus could pass for a cultivar. But think again! This plant of the Bromeliaceae family was not created by a color-loving scientist. It grows wild in Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina.

How to recognize Pineapple comosus var. Bracteatus?

Ananas comosus bracteatus is an upright herbaceous plant. It reaches a meter in height.

The short stem is hidden by a rosette of leaves. It supports the inflorescence.

The leaves are up to 1.5 meters long. Coriaceous and rigid, their margins are hemmed with spines. Blades are usually green. But some Ananas comosus bracteatus have yellow or red-edged foliage.

Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus is a monocarpic plant. It flowers only once in its life. Its swan song takes the form of an inflorescence with pink or red bracts and blue flowers.

The plant then gives birth to a small, bright-red pineapple crowned with plain green or variegated yellow and pink leaves. The fruit is edible, but its seed-filled flesh is less juicy than that of pineapple comosus.

Pineapple comosus var. Bracteatus is non-toxic. You can grow it without risk, even if you live with young children or pets.

Our maintenance tips

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.

Spray

Spray foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature. In addition to increasing humidity, misting prevents the appearance of undesirable insects.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Ananas comosus var. Bracteatus to give it more space.

Your Pineapple comosus bracteatus likes to be cramped. Repot it in a pierced pot barely larger than the root ball.

Line the bottom of the pot with a well-drained substrate. You can use potting soil for Bromeliads or for cacti and succulents. You can also make your own growing medium by mixing equal parts :

potting soil for green plants ;
bark ;
coconut fiber ;
perlite ;
sphagnum moss.

Plant your Pineapple comosus bracteatus in the center and add substrate. Tamp and water to encourage rooting.

Place your pot on a dish of moist clay balls 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 Pineapple 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.

Cutting

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 Pineapple 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

Red spiders

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Bromeliads - Bromeliaceae
Type	Pineapple - Ananas
Species	Pineapple comosus - Ananas comosus
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade
Substrats	Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting method	In pots
Categories	Fruit tree Interior Herbaceous
Tag	Edible fruit
Origin	South America
Hardiness (USDA)	11a
Leaf color
Flower color
Fruit color