Pineapple Weed
Matricaria discoidea
A small annual weed with feathery leaves and cone-shaped greenish-yellow flower heads that smell like pineapple when crushed. Closely related to chamomile, it is fragrant and common in compacted, disturbed ground.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Drought-tolerant
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) is a low annual in the aster family, closely related to true chamomile. Its common name comes from the pineapple-like aroma released when the flowers and foliage are crushed.
Unlike its daisy-like chamomile relatives, its flower heads lack white petals, appearing as rounded greenish-yellow cones. It is a tough little weed that thrives in compacted soil, paths and roadsides.
How to identify it
Identify pineapple weed by its rayless, cone-shaped yellow-green flower heads and pineapple scent.
- Small, low-branching annual, usually 2-12 in tall
- Finely divided, feathery, fern-like leaves
- Cone-shaped flower heads of tiny greenish-yellow disc florets with no white petals
- Pineapple-like fragrance when foliage or flowers are crushed
- Often grows in compacted soil along paths, driveways and field edges
Care & growing
Pineapple weed is a weed but a benign and fragrant one.
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Very drought-tolerant; thrives in dry, compacted ground
- Soil: Tolerates poor, compacted, disturbed soils where little else grows
- Temperature: Cool to warm season annual
- Propagation: By seed; readily colonizes bare, packed soil
- Control: Easily pulled or hoed; rarely aggressive enough to require herbicides
Habitat & origin
Pineapple weed is native to northeastern Asia and northwestern North America and has spread across much of the temperate world.
It is especially common in compacted, disturbed soils: footpaths, driveways, roadsides, gateways, farmyards and field margins. Its tolerance of trampling and poor soil lets it grow where many plants cannot.
Frequently asked questions
Is pineapple weed the same as chamomile?
It is a close relative of chamomile and is sometimes called wild chamomile, but it lacks the white petals and has cone-shaped greenish flower heads.
Why does pineapple weed smell like pineapple?
When you crush its flowers or leaves, it releases aromatic compounds that produce a pineapple-like fragrance, which is the source of its common name.
Where does pineapple weed grow?
It thrives in compacted, disturbed soil such as footpaths, driveways, roadsides and farmyards, tolerating trampling and poor conditions where many plants cannot grow.
Pineapple Weed guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Pineapple Weed.
