Weird pineapple from my garden… what’s going on?

Picked this unusual pineapple a few days ago. It has multiple crowns and looks pretty wild. Anyone seen anything like this before?

You should propagate it!

Tennyson said:
You should propagate it!

Definitely planning to.

Hadley said:

Tennyson said:
You should propagate it!

Definitely planning to.

You could tissue culture it and grow a whole new strain. Market it as your unique variety.

@Hart
How hard is tissue culture?

Hadley said:
@Hart
How hard is tissue culture?

Not as simple as just planting the tops in the ground!

Hadley said:
@Hart
How hard is tissue culture?

It takes some specialized equipment and skills. If you’ve worked with growing mushrooms from spores, you might find it similar. It’s great for large-scale propagation like orchards.

@Hart
I used to work in cannabis, and even in commercial settings, tissue culture was mostly experimental. We stuck with cloning and seeds because this method needs a trained scientist and proper tools.

@Raine
Exactly, it’s closer to mycology than traditional gardening. You need microbiology tools, similar to those used in mushroom cultivation.

Hart said:
@Raine
Exactly, it’s closer to mycology than traditional gardening. You need microbiology tools, similar to those used in mushroom cultivation.

Ah, like those spore kits you see in stores. Thanks for clarifying. I wasn’t trying to sound dismissive.

That pineapple looks like it’s wearing a bunch of hats.

I hereby name it Medusa.

It’s rocking a fabulous hairdo!

Pineapple with extra pine.

That’s one for r/fasciation or something similar. Fascinating growth!

Chen said:
That’s one for r/fasciation or something similar. Fascinating growth!

Or maybe r/justfuckmyshitup?

What were the growing conditions?

Harper said:
What were the growing conditions?

Florida Zone 9a, sandy soil, east side of the house, and heavy mulch for moisture.

Hadley said:

Harper said:
What were the growing conditions?

Florida Zone 9a, sandy soil, east side of the house, and heavy mulch for moisture.

The tropical environment and sandy conditions make sense for such vigorous growth. Anything else growing unusually?

@Harper
I just harvested another pineapple nearby, and it had a typical shape. This one is unique. These were grown from pups off the previous generation of plants.