Fruit · Easy to grow
Pineapple
Ananas comosus
A spiky bromeliad that fruits outdoors in the tropics and subtropics and in warm, frost-free temperate gardens. Plant a store-bought top or a sucker in spring in free-draining soil. It takes about two years to fruit. In cool climates grow it in a pot and bring it in for winter.
- SunFull sun or part shade
- Spacing50 cm apart
- FrostFrost tender
- HeatCopes with some heat
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add pineapple to my gardenVarieties (2)
- Rough Leaf (Queen)Smaller, very sweet fruit; spiny leaves
- Smooth CayenneThe main Queensland commercial type; large fruit; nearly spineless leaves
From seed to plate
Plant
50 cm apart. Full sun or part shade.
Water
Water when the top of the soil is dry; never let it sit wet.
Feed
Light, regular feeds of a balanced fertiliser; liquid feed can go into the leaf rosette.
Pick
Pick when the base turns golden and the fruit smells sweet.
Good to know
- Twist the top off a ripe pineapple, strip the lower leaves and let it dry for a few days before planting
- Wear gloves: leaf edges are spiny
- After harvest, grow on a sucker for the next fruit
Common problems
- Root and heart rot in wet, heavy soilplant in sandy, free-draining soil or a pot
- Cold damage below about 10 °Cshelter or bring pots inside
- Mealybugs on roots and leaf baseslift and clean the plant or use a registered treatment following label directions
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Where this information comes from
- ABC Gardening Australia: Fruit Guide (pineapple, warm temperate/tropical, half sun, not frost tolerant) (frost, medium confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Pineapple growing (growing, low confidence)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 29 Oct 2026. Version 1.