How to Make a Pineapple Plant Flower (Why It Won't)

A pineapple plant that will not flower is almost always too young or too small, short of sun, or underfed. UF/IFAS says a plant that has produced 70 to 80 leaves is ready to flower, and that flowering can be induced by short days, cool weather or dry conditions. Work through the checklist below, starting with the age of the plant. For planting and care, see our pineapple plant guide.

How long a pineapple plant takes to flower

Pineapple is slow. CTAHR says a field newly planted with crowns needs about 18 months after planting before the first fruiting, UF/IFAS gives 18 to 24 months from planting to harvest, and CTAHR gives 15 to 20 months for the plant crop. Flowering starts several months before harvest, so a flower spike can appear in the second year.

So a young crown with a small tuft of leaves is not failing. It is still growing.

Why a pineapple plant does not flower: diagnosis

Fixes in order

1. Count the months and the leaves. Count from planting, and count the leaves. A plant needs 70 to 80 leaves before it is ready to flower (UF/IFAS).
2. Check the sun. UF/IFAS says plants should be in full sun for best growth and fruit production. Move a potted plant outdoors for the warm months.
3. Feed it. Follow the UF/IFAS schedule for young plants and increase the amount as the plant grows. CRFG says nitrogen is essential for fruit size and should be added every four months.
4. Water on an even schedule. UF/IFAS says to water in dry periods lasting more than 6 or 7 days in hot weather and every 10 to 14 days in cooler winter months. Never let the plant sit wet.
5. Check the roots and the leaves. Root rot (Phytophthora and Pythium), mealybugs and nematodes all weaken a plant (UF/IFAS). Start with disease-free planting material.
6. Give it room. A bigger container allows a bigger plant and fruit (UF/IFAS), so step up a pot size if the roots are crowded.

Keep notes on what you change and when. Pineapple works slowly, so give each change a few months before you judge it.

What triggers a pineapple plant to flower

UF/IFAS says plants may be induced to flower by short day lengths, cool or cold weather, and dry or drought conditions. That is why plants sometimes flower on their own in autumn or winter. But the plant has to be big enough first, so a mature plant in full sun is more likely to respond than a small one.

There is nothing you need to do to start the process beyond growing the plant well. A plant that is healthy, sunny and well fed is on track, so be patient.

Can you force a pineapple plant to flower?

Commercial growers do. CRFG says fruiting can be forced when the plant is mature, and growers use growth-regulator treatments to do it. Those are tools for field crops, and not something we recommend for a plant in your garden or on your patio.

A popular home trick is to enclose a mature plant with a few ripe apples in a large bag. The apples give off ethylene, which is said to trigger flowering, but results are inconsistent, so treat it as an experiment. The main advice is the dull one: grow a large, healthy plant, and it will flower when it is ready.

What happens once it flowers

You will see a small flower spike rising from the center of the plant. The first flowers open about 50 days after flower induction, and flowering continues for 20 to 40 days (UF/IFAS). Then the fruit grows. UF/IFAS says the time from flower induction to harvest ranges from 5 to 7 months, and CTAHR gives 6 to 8 months. Keep the plant in full sun, keep it fed and watered, and guard it from cold. When the fruit starts to turn from green to yellow at the base, our guide on how to tell if a pineapple is ripe explains the cues, and how to cut a pineapple shows what to do next.

After the first fruit

Each plant bears one fruit, but it can give you more plants. UF/IFAS says the ratoon, or second, crop comes from a sucker that arises below the fruit. Leave one and it grows into your next fruiting plant, while the crown on top of the fruit can be planted as well. Our guide on how to plant a pineapple top shows how, and our banana plant guide covers another tropical plant that renews itself from suckers.