Plants that look like pineapple tops have basal leaves resembling that of the pineapple plant. Some may even have single flower stalks or basal leaves, resembling the pineapple houseplant.
You can grow pineapple lookalikes in your garden as there are several to pick from, including the ones from the same bromeliad family as pineapple plants. Let’s get into it.
Contents
Variety of Plants That Look Like Pineapple Tops
1. Silver Vase Plant
Silver vase, also known as urn plant or in botany it is called the Aechmea fasciata. This plant is a slow-growing flowering plant, as it is classified as a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which means it is closely related to pineapple plants.
If you’re familiar with bromeliads, you would have come across the name “silver vase” at some point. The plants originally came from Brazil, but they’ve been naturalized in other places and are grown as ornamental house plants.
– Features
Silver vase is a beautiful indoor plant that grows flowers and foliage like the exotic pineapple crown. The plant is rosette-shaped and has distinct crown-like, which also has silver-gray evergreen leaves with spiky edges. The plants grow about 12 to 20 inches tall, which is perfect for small spaces
Furthermore, it produces bright pink flowers at its center, which is the signal to know that it is grown chiefly for. In spring, you would see the vivid pink flowers which would brighten up any space.
Silver vase plants are epiphytes or air plants, and these plants that look like the pineapple grow on many surfaces, mostly on other plants such as on trunks, branches, and other structures.
They are also plants that have an easy growing system and are a favorite among gardeners. In fact, if you’re a novice gardener, this plant is one of the easiest for you to grow. All you need to do is mimic its natural habitat or grow them in containers with potting soil.
– Care Guide
As previously stated, silver vase plants are easy to grow and have very few problems. Just like for the pineapple plant care, the most essential elements for these plants are their light and water requirements. On the other hand, other factors are also prominent to provide an overall healthy plant.
To elaborate further, the silver vase plants prefer total light exposure but will not mind a little shade. However, these plants require sunlight to grow their beautiful silver-grey variegated leave and vividly colored flowers.
Which means that just like the pineapple growing, they would also be favored when placed close to windows or areas where they can get enough sunlight is best. Although, you need to be careful about putting this plants under intense sunlight for a very long time, as they can burn and become damaged.
As a result of the fact that silver vase plants are epiphytes, they get most of what they need from the air rather than the soil. On this notion, their leaves absorb moisture and the nutrients they need from the atmosphere.
In addition, they require extra help with watering, so it’s best to fill their centers quarter-way up or halfway up. Note that you should avoid filling it to the brim to prevent rot over time, so that when it comes to the plant grow in a healthy way.
2. Giant Bromeliad
Giant bromeliad plants are classified as Alcantarea imperialis. You may know this plant as “empress of Brazil”, “imperial bromeliad” or “giant vriesea”, as they’re commonly called.
These large bromeliad plants grow abundantly all over Brazil, where they hail from. These plants have a large base with sprawling evergreen Rosette leaves common to the Bromeliaceae family.
– Features
There are several varieties of the giant bromeliad plants, some of which produce flowers, while others don’t. Whichever the case may be, these plants will serve as beautiful statement pieces in any garden.
As their name implies, giant bromeliads grow very big, and they would bush up and open through just like the top of the pineapple. Furthermore, they grow to be about five feet tall and wide.
Giant bromeliads take a long time to produce flowers; between eight and 20 years. This is a long time to wait, but the result is usually worth it. When they bloom in the summer, they produce tiny red, yellow or white flowers that stay on for several months.
– Plant Care Guide
Giant bromeliads are easy to grow and are tolerant of so many conditions, especially when they reach maturity. Giant bromeliads require very little maintenance after they have been established. These plants will grow in moist but well-drained loam soils with an alkaline to neutral pH.
Their leaf pockets store water when it rains, providing a habitat for tiny amphibians and insects, which shows that they would store in some insect eggs and larvae too.
If you live in USDA hardiness zones between 10 and 11, you can consider growing giant bromeliads. They can handle a little summer drought, as well as strong winds and cool nights.
However, during extended periods of drought, they require occasional watering; this encourages the growth of new leaves. They are also very adaptable and can be grown in pots and garden beds.
3. Quesnelia Plants
An example of a plant in the Quesnelia genus is the Quesnelia quesneliana species. All plants in this particular genus typically have similar characteristics and features, and they all belong to the Bromeliaceae family, like the other two plants mentioned above. Unlike some other plants in the Bromeliaceae family, Quesnelias do not grow fruits.
– Features
Quesnelia is a slow-growing perennial plant, great for landscaping. This plant is gorgeous and can be grown indoors in pots or in plant beds as a ground cover because of its moderate size, about two to three feet tall.
Quesnelia plants originate from brazil, where they are grown as ornamental plants. Just like most bromeliads, they grow large, oblong dark green leaves that form rosettes from the base of the plant to the top.
These plants produce stunning bright red flowers from their centers, which rise above their leaf arrangements and add to their allure during spring. Their flowers are arranged in terminal florets, which means that after their petals die off, the plants and flowers die and leave just the suckers behind.
– Care Guide
You can choose to grow Quesnelia plants in pots indoors or in your outdoor garden, as they are very adaptable to several conditions. However, if you are willing to grow them indoors, then your plants will need plenty of sunlight, so planting them in a spot that receives ample sunlight is ideal.
If you decide you need them in your outdoor garden instead, then simply you can plant them close to slightly shaded areas to obscure them from the extreme heat of the afternoon sun.
Quesnelia Plants are best planted during spring and will thrive in fertile soils that are adequately drained. Also, in hotter climates or weather conditions, they require more watering, at least three to four times weekly, but taking this into consideration, make sure that you do not water it more than necessary.
Lastly, it’s important to note that slightly shaded locations encourage the growth of long green foliage, while total sun exposure causes the leaves to grow shorter and have a slight reddish tint.
4. Tufted Air Plants
Tufted air plants are generally called Guzmania bromeliads. These plants are evergreen epiphytes with over 120 species indigenous to the west indies, southern Mexico, and several parts of America. If you can’t afford to grow pineapples or want something different but with the exotic features of the pineapple fruit, you should consider growing Guzmania plants.
– Features
Guzmania bromeliads add stunning textures and colors to Indoor gardens with thick glossy green foliage and their red, yellow, orange, or purple bracts, depending on the species you grow.
On the other hand, unlike pineapple plants, tufted air plants do not produce fruits. They are flowering ornamental plants that are mostly grown indoors. These plants grow about 12 to 16 inches tall, which makes them the perfect indoor tabletop decorations, or to add them to the center of your indoor plants.
– Care Guide
Guzmania bromeliads will make planting very easy for you. They are usually pest and disease free, which takes away some of the concerns people face with many plants. The bromeliads are pretty happy when they’re exposed to sunlight.
However, you should avoid placing them under direct sunlight for prolonged periods to prevent them from burning. Remember that these plants can tolerate a bit of shade for short periods of time, but they won’t last as long or produce perfect blooms, which means you should be mindful about this aspect.
Like most other bromeliads, Guzmania bromeliads store water for use in their central cups. To encourage their growth, fill these cups halfway, and be careful not to overfill them to prevent microbe buildup, which will eventually lead to plant rot.
5. Pineapple Lily
Eucomis comosa, popularly known as pineapple lily, pineapple flower, or wine Eucomis is a member of the asparagus family. This plant is a flowering perennial plant native to South Africa and is grown mainly for ornamental purposes.
It can be grown in pots and borders, where it can add colorful interest. Optimally, in hardiness zones 7 to 10 these should be placed to see the pineapple growing.
Eucomis plants are great because they aren’t fussy and won’t give you any trouble. They are resistant to deer, rabbits, and most pests. They are also super easy to grow and maintain.
– Features
Eucomis plants resemble the pineapple fruit, which explains its common name, “pineapple lily.” They produce unusual star-like flowers, and the plants themselves add an exotic touch to any garden or landscape, these little flowers are often found in the shades of light purple and would look very beautiful when they are completely blossomed.
Pineapple lilies bloom a bit late, but they have their beautiful broad green leaves to make up for their lack of blooms in their early months.
When they do bloom, their flowers are long-lasting. The flowers stay on for about eight weeks, before they eventually fall off.
These brightly colored blooms are attractive to pollinators like some flies and bees, and the fact that they last so long provides these pollinators with something to feed on. You will see the bees coming around these flowers and bringing their friends too, and cultivating some pollen from them.
– Plant Care Guide
There are several varieties of pineapple lilies to pick from, all of which offer differing bloom and foliage colors. However, they all require similar growing conditions and care methods. Pineapple lilies grow optimally in moist warm conditions.
Furthermore, they prefer to be exposed to full sunlight, where their leaves and flowers can get enough energy to grow. They tolerate partial shade but will produce fewer blooms in this condition.
Pineapple lilies will tolerate almost any soil type, including sand, loam, and chalk, as long as it is moist, rich, and not water-logged. The soil can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline, as long as the previously stated conditions are met. Regular watering is essential to pineapple lilies, especially during long summers.
Conclusion
Growing pineapples is easy enough, but if you want to grow plants other than pineapples while keeping the exotic look pineapple tops bring to any landscape, there are a few choice options of plants available.
You have been provided with some options in this article. All you need to do is keep the following in mind:
- Most plants that look like pineapple tops belong to the same family as pineapple plants, the way that they would shoot leaves and open up.
- Some of these plants are known for their exotic look about them, and they’re perfect for either indoor or outdoor gardening, which would look perfect as a centerpiece.
- The pineapple lily is one that would attract multiple pollinators towards the flowers that it would bloom, due to the pollen that it has.
Growing pineapple plants is one way to add an exotic touch to your garden. However, you don’t need to limit yourself to pineapples alone. Now that you have the options of plants that look like pineapple tops to choose from, you can add an exotic touch to your garden.
References
- http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/BROMELIADS/Family/Bromeliaceae/28795/Alcantarea_imperialis
- https://garden.org/plants/view/352455/Bromeliad-Quesnelia-quesneliana/
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/guzmania/&ved=2ahUKEwjhm8L7z9j7AhXI2aQKHWh_DegQFnoFCI0BEAE&usg=AOvVaw1Viu7W-BvTpbgA3EmraVKj
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