Yes, you can grow a pineapple plant from the top of the fruit. This shows you how to prepare the fruit, take the right cutting, and root it in water for a new plant.
You can also grow mango and avocado trees from store-bought fruit.
Growing Pineapple Indoors
This is a very simple way to grow a new pineapple plant from a grocery store pineapple.
You may want to start a couple at once since it’s impossible to tell ahead of time which ones will succeed.
How long does it take to grow a pineapple from a pineapple top?
Years. Step one is to grow the top into a houseplant.
From there, if growing conditions are optimum, after several years the plant may flower and (very slowly) produce fruit.
But that can be challenging, especially in a cooler climate unless you provide grow lights as well.
Some indoor pineapple plants never flower or produce fruit but do grow quite large (up to 6 feet tall indoors). Others stay fairly small if light levels are lower than desired.
I have provided tips for caring for pineapple plant here.
How to Grow a Pineapple Top
1Select a Healthy Pineapple
Select a healthy, ripe pineapple.
- Look for healthy, vibrant green leaves (not all gray or brown) with no sign of disease or insects.
- The ripeness is indicated by the gold color, which forms from the base up: the more gold, the sweeter (and riper) the pineapple.
Over-ripe pineapples are orange and have a fermented fruit odor.
2Detach Top
- Remove the top by firmly grasping the leaves and twisting. The crown will detach from the base.
Here’s what it will look like:
The base is now ready for carving and eating.
The crown is ready for peeling, drying and rooting.
3Remove Lower Leaves
- Peel off several layers of leaves from the base of the crown so about 1-2″ is exposed. You’ll see little brown nubs that the leaves were covering up. New roots will sprout from these nubs.
Want to grow more?
These pineapple propagation tips are included in the ebook,
Kitchen Propagation Handbook: 7 Fruits & Vegetables to Grow From Scraps.
4Dry Crown
Lay the crown on its side and leave it to dry for 1-2 days out of direct sun.
Next: You can root the plant directly in moist potting mix or use the water method shown below.
5Root Crown in Water
Weeks 2-6
- Place the crown in a jar of clean, warm water, with only the leaf-free area submerged in the water. A mason jar works well for this.
- Change the water every second day. You want to keep the water clean and fresh.
- Don’t freak out that the leaves start to dry and turn brown. This is normal. Some stay green, some do not.
- If the plant is not going to root, the crown may suddenly dry out entirely. If this happens, try another pineapple.
Here’s the crown after a week. You can see roots are starting to form.
Here’s the crown after 3 weeks in the water. Remember to change the jar water every other day.
6Plant in Potting Mix
After a month or so, when you have lots of nice long roots (3″ or more), plant the crown in potting mix suitable for succulents and cacti.
Pineapple plants do not like to have their roots restricted, so choose a pot with room to grow.
Weeks 7-14
For the next few weeks, keep the plant away from bright sun, and be sure the soil is consistently moist but not too wet. This is when the roots will grow in the soil.
After about two months, the plant should be snugly grabbing the soil (indicating root growth has taken place) and you should see signs of new leaf growth, coming from the middle of the plant.
Pineapple Plant with Fruit
I photographed this pineapple plant with fruit at a local garden nursery.
Kitchen Propagation Handbook
Regrow Food Scraps
Learn how to grow houseplants from avocado, oranges, lemons, ginger, and more using leftover pits, seeds, and roots.
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Pineapple Plant Care
Light
- Pineapple is a tropical fruit plant, so provide bright sun without burning the plant or drying out the soil. A summer holiday outdoors near a wall for extra warmth is something to consider.
- You can also use grow lights (shows what I use) if you do not have natural sun available.
Temperatures
- Pineapples will die in freezing temperatures.
- Growth halts below 60°F (15.5°C) and above 90°F (32°C).
- The sweet spot is right in the middle: 68°F and 86°F (20-30°C).
Water
I highly recommend using a simple moisture meter for both houseplants and outdoor container plants. It’s a simple way to know how moist the soil is at root level and learn to keep water levels nice and even.
- Pineapples are somewhat drought-tolerant but it’s too easy to go to an extreme when growing indoors in a container. For this reason, I keep mine moderately moist at all times.
- Drought also slows or halts growth. Leaves become light green, then yellow or red and curled when drought is present.
- Overwatering is just as harmful: yes, even watering is key!
- It’s not unusual for the tips of the leaves to turn brown. I have seen this happen from both overwatering and underwatering. If it happens, trim off the brown with clean scissors. If the middle of the plant turns yellow or brown, it’s likely the entire the plant is dying.
Fertilizer
- As your plant grows, it will need a balanced, slow-release organic fertilizer (5-5-5) N-P-K macro-nutrients.
- You may also want to research options for applying micro-nutrients a few times per year.
Resources
- Growing Pineapples | University of Florida Extension
Pineapple Fruit
To fruit or not to fruit, that is the question
Pineapple plants need 2-3 years of maturing before flowering and fruiting can take place.
During this time, your pineapple plant will outgrow its pot a couple of times and need repotting.
Cut away old, dead leaves as needed.
If, after all this time, your plant is healthy but not flowering, look up ways to force blooms. It may just need that extra boost.
Eventually, if you’re lucky, it will indeed flower and fruit.
Suspenseful, isn’t it?
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
How to Propagate Pineapple From the Grocery Store
Supplies & Materials
- 1 Pineapple ripe, with top
- 1 Jar
- 1 bag Potting Mix for Cacti
- 1 Flower pot
Equipment
Instructions
- Grasp ripe pineapple and gently twist off leafy top.
- Remove lower 1 to 2-inches of leaves.
- Let crown dry for 1-2 days.
- Sit crown in jar of warm water, submerging leaf-free area.
- Change water every few days.
- When roots are at least 3-inches long, you can plant crown.
- To pot the rooted crown, fill flower pot with potting mix made for cacti. Bury roots and water.
- Keep in warm location with indirect, strong sun. Water as needed.
- Signs of new growth may be evident after 7 to 14 weeks.
Georgina Sokol says
This article was extremely helpful to me. I have pineapple crown from the grocery store that I planted a year ago. I am in southern Florida, so the plant is outside on my patio year round. I have transplanted it twice and it just keeps getting larger. Do I keep transplanting it as it gets root-bound? I’ve got it in a 24″ diameter pot now. I know this sounds stupid, but I don’t have any idea of how large this plant will become, especially before bearing fruit.
Melissa J. Will says
Hi Georgina,
The question may be, how big do you want it to get?
The more room to grow, the more it will grow.
Do you want to keep it in a container or grow it in the ground?
If you want to keep it in a pot, I’d hold off repotting as long as possible and only repot if you’re certain it’s getting too crowded.
Marian says
I have no green thumb, but I was interested enough from your article to try to grow a pineapple from the veggie market. (They looked better than their local grocery store counterparts.) It’s been 3 months now, and I haven’t killed it – yet! The pineapple top has been in a pot for 8 weeks or so now, and some of its leaf tips are brown. No leaves are totally brown, just some tips. Is this normal? Should I cut off these tips? Or just leave them alone? My location is Florida and my pineapple is placed next to a sliding glass door with indirect light 8-9 hours a day now in winter, and closer to 12-13 hours once summer is here.
Melissa J. Will says
Hi Marian,
Browning tips is fairly common simply because they are sensitive to over and under watering (can be caused by both).
You can trim off the brown parts with clean scissors (it’s dead leaf material).
You may want to get a simple moisture meter if you’re not already using one to know exactly how moist your soil is.
I’ve had some pineapple tops do fine and others fail: it’s a bit of a mystery why some thrive but part of the fun too.
Marian says
Thank you for your input. I’ve held back on the watering, and the browning seems to have halted.
le says
I had 5 plants dating back to 2003-2005. I had gotten to the point with them that I no longer expected them to bear fruit, but I loved how large and awesome they were.
well, last winter, 2019, I transplanted 2 of them, the biggest ones, into much bigger planter pots.
this past summer, 2020, they both bore fruit!!
I’m transplanting the other 3 old plants into bigger pots now, and the tops of the 2 new fruits from last summer are in pots and growing.
Sue says
I have grown pineapple tops a couple of times but gave up after about a year after no flowers appeared. I live in Indiana so I have to bring it in every winter. Recently I was about to throw out another of these two year old attempts because the plant was getting so large. There it was to my surprise, a flower which later turned into the cutest little pineapple! The pineapple has begun to grow a top, and I was wondering how I can tell when it is ripe?
Melissa J. Will says
How wonderful! From what I know, the fruit should get to the size of a large orange. Signs of ripening include turning golden and smelling like pineapple. Good luck!
Grace says
Thank you for this,was almost giving up on mine that have been growing for 2years I think.I’ve cut off yellow leaves though,I think they need repotting.
Rebecca says
Before you place the top in the pot, do the brown leaves need to be removed?
Melissa J. Will says
Hi Rebecca, You can cut those off any time (before or after potting).
Tammy says
I am growing a pineapple top and all the leave are dead on the out side but really green inside, would I cut all the dead off?
Melissa J. Will says
Yes, it’s fine to trim the dead leaves away.
shirley harkenrider says
i tried regrowing a pineapple 2years ago it did grow t a big full plant but then it looked like it was turning yellow i probaly should have repotted it but instead i cut it way back now it is growing again and looking healthy it has never flowered should i transfer it to a larger pot ? i would love for it to grow a small pineapple as my 16 grandchildren would think I created a miracle thanks shirley
Melissa J. Will says
Hi Shirley,
I would gently pull the plant out of its pot and check the roots visually. If they are starting to wind around the pot, it’s time for a larger size. (Lucky you to have so many grandchildren!)
Melissa J. Will says
Simple step-by-step instructions with photo showing how to grow a pineapple top into a houseplant.
Dan says
Can I plant the pineapple head directly in the dirt after it has rooted?
Melissa J. Will says
Hi Dan, Yes. Just be sure the potting mix is always moist and in direct contact with the plant.