Pineapple
Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical herbaceous plant of the bromeliad family; its fruit is a syncarp formed by hundreds of small flowers, sweet-tart and rich in bromelain and vitamin C, eaten fresh or processed into juice and canned products — an important export crop.
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Pineapple fruitOverview
Pineapple is a perennial herb 0.8–1.5 m tall; its long, narrow, stiff leaves — often spiny-margined depending on cultivar — form a basal rosette. Small purple flowers cluster at the top, and each flower develops into an 'eye' fused onto a common axis, forming a cylindrical syncarp topped by a leafy crown. The ripe fruit turns orange-yellow with a distinctive aroma.
Pineapple originates in South America (Brazil, Paraguay) and was spread across the tropics by Europeans; in Vietnam it is grown widely in Tiền Giang, Kiên Giang, Long An and Nghệ An. The fruit is eaten fresh or made into juice, canned goods and jam; the leaves yield fibre, and the enzyme bromelain is used to tenderise meat and in medicine.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Brazil25%
- Southeast Asia30%
- Vietnam15%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- BromelainMeat-tenderising enzyme40%
- Vitamin CAntioxidant30%
- Organic acidsTartness (malic, citric)30%
Uses
- Ripe fruit eaten fresh or juiced
- Canned, jam and beverages
- Bromelain tenderises meat; leaves yield fibre
Properties
- Taste
- Sweet-tart, intensely aromatic
- Value
- Rich in vitamin C and bromelain
Habitat & conservation
Humid tropics; sun-loving; loose, well-drained soil.
Conservation
Widely cultivated across the tropics; not threatened in the wild.
References
- 1Kew Science – Plants of the World Online: Ananas comosus — Kew (Plants of the World Online), 2026
- 2Wikipedia – Pineapple — Wikipedia, 2026