Close, they're called "ratoons".

The ratoon is a new plant growing from between the leafs of the main plant. My pineapple had one ratoon & three suckers. Suckers grow from the soil & come from the base of the main plant. Suckers need to be 1/3 the size of the main plant before they can be separated.

To remove the ratoon, pull & twist the ratoon & it will pop-out clean. Plant in a pot; there won't be much of the ratoon in the dirt, so bury it up to the base of the leafs, keep moist & away from direct sun until roots have a chance to form......that's it.

Good luck.

{{gwi:479114}}

Thanks so much. I think they are suckers then, but they are big. So do I twist them too? Do I discard the main plant?

If they're suckers, like the two shown in the bottom of my photo, then they can be "dug up" and clipped like an umbilical cord from the main plant; with luck they've started their own roots already. In either case, just clip them and plant in moist soil; they will start rooting.

The main plant has done it's job; it has created the pineapple & then reproduced by creating the suckers....go ahead and toss the old plant unless you want to keep it as a "Queen". A Queen will keep producing suckers, but no more pineapples.

Good luck.

Great info!! Thanks so much!

My pineapple anatomy stated above may be wrong. After some research, I read that ratoons (not suckers) emerge from below the soil; suckers (not ratoons) develop from the leaf axils; slips grow from the plant stalk, below the fruit (I've never seen this), but you get the idea....

Have fun.

I guess they are ratoons, then. I will pot them up and see what happens.