How to Grow a Pineapple Top in Water

Start with a fresh store-bought pineapple that has a healthy green crown. Lay it on a cutting board, grip the leaves with one hand, and slice straight across just under the base of the leaves with a sharp knife.

Aim to keep the whole leafy top plus a thin sliver of fruit attached. You do not want a big chunk of the sweet flesh riding along, since leftover fruit sitting in water is the first thing to rot. A clean, close cut sets you up for the rest.

Now strip the lower leaves off the crown, working from the bottom up. Pull each leaf downward and it should snap off cleanly, leaving a small ring on the stem where it was attached.

Keep peeling until you have roughly an inch of bare, pale stem showing below the leafy tuft. Those little rings and bumps are the spots where new roots break out, so exposing them is the whole point of this step. Set the stripped leaves aside for the compost.

Check the bottom of the crown and trim away any leftover fruit still clinging to the stem. Any soft flesh left down there will turn slimy in water and can spoil the whole thing before roots ever appear.

Once it is clean, set the crown somewhere dry and out of direct sun for a day or two. Letting the cut end dry and callus over is an old succulent trick, and it gives the stem a protective seal so it soaks up water instead of rotting.

Fill a small glass jar or cup with water and rest the crown in it so only the bare stem is submerged. The leaves should sit above the rim, dry and out of the water. A narrow-mouth jar helps here because it holds the crown upright without any support.

Set the jar on a bright windowsill with indirect light. Top up the water as the level drops, and keep an eye that the leaves themselves never end up sitting in the water.

This is where patience pays off. Over the next few weeks, white roots push out from the bare stem, often starting around 10 to 14 days in. Change the water every few days so it stays clear, since cloudy water invites rot and stalls the roots.

Watch for a fresh green shoot pushing up from the center of the crown too. When the stem has a thick tangle of roots and that new growth is going, the plant is ready to move into soil.

Time to move it into soil. Fill a pot with well-draining potting mix and press a small hollow in the center. Settle the rooted crown in so the roots are tucked under and the leaf base rests right at the surface, then firm the soil gently around it.

Water it in and keep the pot somewhere warm and bright while the plant settles. From here it grows on like any houseplant, and with time and a lot of patience it can even fruit.