Ananas bracteatus

Ananas bracteatus, also known as the Red Pineapple) is a species of the pineapple native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador.


Ananas bracteatus is grown as an ornamental plants for its decorative red fruit. The leaves are long with sharp spines, so it can be used as a protective hedge for home security. In colder places they can be grown indoors as a houseplant. It grows throughout Brazil at elevations of 140 to 320 metres (450–1,050 ft).

Description: The small, violet-purple flowers emerge from between spiny, red or pink bracts on egg-shaped inflorescences. The inflorescences are followed by brownish pink to scarlet, leafy-topped, compound pineapple fruits. The leaves are long, linear, arching, solid dark green or variegated with white, pink, red, or yellow, and edged with sharp spines that curve up toward the leaf tips.
Here in Hawaii, Red Pineapple is grown in tropical gardens and is used as a security hedge because of its spiny leaves.

The similar False Pineapple (Pseudananas sagenarius) has spines at the base of the leaves that curve downward toward the base of the plant. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) has much less colorful inflorescences and larger fruit.