Ananas comosus var. variegatus

Ananas comosus var. variegatus or Variegated Pineapple is part of the Bromeliaceae family of plants. It is a short-lived perennial monocot or a short-stemmed bromeliad native to Brazil.

It forms a rosette of evergreen, sword-shaped, green leaves that have a creamy stripe on the edges. The leaves have spiny edges and grow to 90cm or 3ft long. Ananas comosus var. variegatus flowers in the summer. The flowers are purple and red and they grow in a cone-like clusters. After flowering, it produces edible fruit. It looks like a small pineapple but it is not as sweet. It could take a few years to flower if you grow it indoors.

How to grow Ananas comosus var. variegatus:

Grow it outside in the indirect sun, at a temperature between 68ºF to 86ºF. Plant it in moist, acidic that is well-drained soil. Ananas comosus var. variegatus does not tolerate frost and protect the fruit from the strong sun. Watch out for root rot, mealybugs, scale, thrips, and nematodes. Propagate by the fruit crown or offsets, suckers, and hapas.

Also, read about Bromeliad.