Nutrition

 How does it acquire nutrients?
Pineapples are photosynthetic plants, meaning they convert light energy, carbon dioxide, and water into oxygen and sugar. The pineapple plant has two different types of roots. One type are the soil roots and are developed at the base of the stem and extend underground to form the root system. The underground root system is usually quite dense and shallow (reaching depths of 15 cm). The other type are called axillary roots that are formed above the surface of the soil in the leaf axils. These roots absorb water and nutrients, specifically in the unlignified white tissue of the root tip. Sometimes, root rot and nematode feeding will cause the plant to loose the white tissue, which results in inactive growth and no efficient water absorption. (9)

Below is a simple photo that shows the general process of photosynthesis.

In order to conserve water, the pineapple plant has adapted undergoes Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) which you can learn more about here.

Now that we know how they acquire nutrients, lets move on and check out how they reproduce here or return to the home page here.