Le Mie Ricompense
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Hmm ... we’re not so sure.
Does the Pygmy Pineapple belong in your house?
Definitely!
These funky pines are smaller, bitterer cousins of the pineapples we’re used to seeing in the supermarket. The Ananas Pacifico produces gorgeous, red-tinted ornamental fruit and delicately coloured foliage.
Foliage like this is used in a number of unique ways around the world: in Papua New Guinea, the fibres have been used to make loincloths, while in the Philippines it’s used to wrap cigars.
Pygmy Pineapples grow wild in South America, with Puerto Rico being a prime exporter. Over the last year or so, desire for these statement plants has swept across Europe and Australia, but they aren’t always easy to get hold of, so if you see one, act quickly!
How to Care for a Pygmy Pineapple
Light
These tropical plants like sun and warmth, so if you get your hands on one, try and pop it in a room with a lot of natural light.
Water
Your pineapple should only be watered about once a week, when the soil is dry. We recommend using the central rosette to administer the water. Just fill it to the brim once and that’ll be enough to sustain your drought-tolerant beauty.
Fertiliser
Treating your pygmy to dose of feed – enriched with iron, nitrogen and zinc – once a week will keep it looking lush and strong.
Propagating
The pineapple centre piece should last a good few months, but when it starts to fade, it’s worth cutting off your Pygmy’s topknot and sticking it in new soil, where it may grow into a new plant! The original plant should produce a new pineapple too, although it looks just as good without, thanks to the soft coloured foliage.
