How long is the lifespan of a pineapple tree, and how many years can it generally live?

Every summer, you can buy a big pineapple for just 6 yuan. So how many years can a pineapple tree live?

According to sources, the pineapple is an annual plant, so it should not really be called a ”tree”. A pineapple flowers only once; a pineapple that has flowered will not flower again, and it is propagated by dividing the offsets it produces.

In theory, pineapples grow one after another, joined head to tail. Generally, one plant bears one fruit, and in rare cases one plant bears two fruits, but then the fruits are both relatively much smaller. Pineapple production usually has 4 harvest seasons: spring fruit, ripening in April to May; the main crop (summer fruit), ripening in June to July; autumn fruit, ripening in October to November; and winter fruit, ripening from December to January of the following year.

How is a pineapple planted?

When planting a pineapple, you cut off the whole crown of top leaves, then bury it in soil, and it will naturally grow new roots. After a certain time, a red leaf-like thing will grow from the center of its crown, and gradually you will find that it is a small fruit ball pushed out by the fruit stalk. When the fruit ball grows up, it becomes the complete fruit: the pineapple, and the fruit stalk below it is probably the fruit base you have all seen.

The pineapple originated in the Amazon River basin area of Brazil and Paraguay in South America, and was introduced to China from Brazil in the 16th century. It has now spread throughout the entire tropical region. Its edible part is mainly composed of the fleshy enlarged inflorescence axis and the flowers arranged in a spiral on the outer periphery. The flowers usually do not set fruit, and the persistent perianth lobes enclose a cavity, inside which are shrunken stamens and styles. The fibers of the leaves are very tough and can be used for fabrics, making rope, knotting nets and making paper.