Ananas comosus 'Corona'

Origin of Ananas comosus 'Corona'

Ananas comosus occurs naturally from Costa Rica through tropical South America. In the wild, it grows in warm tropical habitats as a low rosette close to the ground.

'Corona' is the trade name for the cultivar 'Duranas2', developed as a compact ornamental pot pineapple with a small central fruit.

Fruiting-cycle care for Ananas comosus 'Corona'

• Light: A very bright spot suits it best. Gentle direct sun is suitable once the foliage is used to it.
• Water: Use the top of the mix and the weight of the pot as your cue. When the top starts to dry and the pot feels lighter, water well and empty any water that drains through.
• Temperature and humidity: Aim for about 18–30°C. Normal room humidity is usually enough. In humid rooms, a light flow of air around the leaves is helpful.
• Offsets: Wait until each offset has formed a well-shaped rosette before removing it. You can leave offsets attached to make a cluster and divide them during repotting if you want separate plants.
• Potting mix: A loose houseplant mix with perlite, fine bark or another coarse ingredient keeps drainage quick.
• Feeding: While fresh growth is appearing, use a light balanced fertiliser at the dose given for potted houseplants.

Ananas comosus 'Corona': rosette health checks

• Pale, open growth: The rosette is getting too little light to stay dense. Move the plant to a brighter place in stages.
• Yellowing leaves with persistently wet mix: The roots are staying wet for too long. Let the pot dry longer between waterings, pour away standing water and make sure water can leave through the drainage holes.
• Dry brown tips: A dry mix or hot air from a heater or vent can scorch the leaf tips. Check how quickly the mix is drying, keep watering steady and move the plant clear of drying heat.
• Sticky leaves, pale speckling or small bumps: These signs commonly point to scale insects, mealybugs or spider mites. Look around the leaf bases and undersides, wipe off light infestations, then use a houseplant pest treatment and repeat it only as the label directs.

Ananas comosus ‘Corona’ has sharp parts

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Its effects on people are unclear.
• Sharp spines or rigid plant parts can puncture the mouth, eyes, skin or paws.
• Handle it carefully. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after a serious injury, especially to the eye.

Why is it called Ananas comosus?

Ananas comes from an Indigenous South American name for pineapple, recorded in Tupi-Guaraní languages and carried into European botanical vocabulary. The Latin epithet comosus means tufted or leafy, describing the crown above the fruit.

Philip Miller established the genus Ananas in 1754 in The Gardeners Dictionary Abridged, fourth edition.

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Bromelia comosa in 1754 in Herbarium Amboinense, page 21. Elmer Drew Merrill later placed it in Ananas as Ananas comosus in 1917 in Interpretatio Herbarii Amboinensis, page 133.