Pinguin
Bromelia pinguin

Family: Bromeliaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is like a pineapple plant. It grows attached to other plants. It grows 1.2-2 m high. It spreads 2 m wide. The leaves are sword shaped and curve outwards. They are green but turn red at the base of the flower. There are teeth on the edges of the leaves. These are hooked. The flowers are purple and white. There are white woolly bracts along the fruit. The fruit are a crowded head of berries that are plum like and edible. They are yellow. The head is 60-100 cm long.

There are 51 Bromelia species. They grow in tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It is best in a seasonally wet and dry climate. It needs well-drained soil. It can grow in full sun or light shade. In Costa Rica it grows from sea level to 800 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America (country/location of origin), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Mexico (country/location of origin), Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Puerto Rico, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit is mostly used for juice. It is very sour and is used for vinegar. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The flower is fried and eaten. It is cooked in stews with onion and capsicum. The base of the shoots are eaten raw or cooked.

It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or offsets.

Its other names

Local names

Barbed-wire fence, Borregos, Caracuate, Cardo, Chibichibe, Chupaya, Corazon de Fuego, Guapilla, Maya, Pina de raton, Pinguin, Pinuela, Viru, Wild pineapple

Synonyms

Agallostachys fastuosa (Lindl.) Beer; Agallostachys pinguin (L.) Beer; Ananas pinguin (L.) Gaertn.; Ananas pinguin Trew.; Bromelia acarna Thunb. ex Schult.f.; Bromelia fastuosa Lindl.; Bromelia ignea Beer; Bromelia sepiaria Schult. & Schult.f. [Invalid]; Karatas penguin Mill.; Karatas pinguin (L.) Mill.; Karatas pinguin Mill. ex Baker;