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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Bromeliaceae (Bromeliads) |
| Origin: Brazil (South America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Variegated Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Violet Red |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): High Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F |
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Ananas comosus 'Royal Hawaiian' (Royal Hawaiian Pineapple) – This very showy terrestrial bromeliad is the variegated form of the pineapple, with the same spiny leaves but with a dark green mid-rib and reddish-pink and cream colored margins. It grows to about 3 feet tall and sprawls outwards to 4 to 5 feet wide. In conditions that favor it and after a few years, plants can flower (usually in late spring-summer) and then produce tight clusters of violet-red self-sterile flowers followed by attractive small pineapples topped with the same variegated leaves as the parent plant. The fruit development is parthenocarpic, meaning it does not require fertilization to produce fruit, which lacks any viable seed but from this fruit often emerges many vegetative pups from both its base and crown. Plant in bright shade to full sun and water regularly. Hardy to cold temperature down about 30-32° F, so will require protection if not in a frost free location and is really happiest where temperatures remain above 50° F. This showy plant makes a great specimen potted plant for outdoor cultivation in the warmer months and then brought into a greenhouse or similar situation when temperatures drop. The drawback to this is that it is spiny and hard to work with so make sure to use sturdy gloves that protect the arms (citrus picker gloves work well). Ananas comosus was originally discovered growing in tropical areas of South America. Columbus reportedly first saw it on the Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe in 1493 but it is thought to originally hail from further south in Brazil. The name for the genus comes from word "nanas" meaning "excellent fruit in the language of the Tupi, the indigenous people of Brazil Tupi and the specific epithet means "tufted" in reference to manner to which the plant grows on its stem. This variegated form has also been called Ananas comosus var. variegatus and Ananas comosus 'Ivory Coast'. We received our stock plants of this variety from Takaya Nursery, a small wholesale nursery in the western Goleta Valley, California in 1997 and we sold it from 1999 until 2012. Visitors to our greenhouse repeatedly ask about the showy stock plant that we kept and so we have decided to once more grow this plant for release in 2022.
The information about Ananas comosus 'Royal Hawaiian' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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