Description
A herbaceous rosette plant producing a single sweet, composite fruit from a cluster of fused berries; widely cultivated across the tropics.
Medicinal Uses
The fruit and leaves are used traditionally as a digestive aid and anti-inflammatory, and against intestinal parasites; the enzyme bromelain, found in the fruit and stem, has documented anti-inflammatory properties.
Food Uses
The ripe fruit is eaten fresh, juiced, or cooked in a wide range of dishes.
Cultivation
Propagated from the leafy crown, suckers, or slips; the parent plant fruits once, with new shoots continuing the planting.
