Plant

Pineapple leaf fiber

Leaf fiber from the pineapple plant.

Reviewed 2026-09-22. Evidence level: verified. Open the interactive profile.

Key figures

Cellulose: up to about 80% or more
Elementary cell width: about 5 to 8 microns
Tensile strength (Azores, retted): about 37 to 993 MPa
Elongation at break: about 1 to 4%
Density: about 1.07 to 1.56 g/cm3

Approximate values under the stated conditions.

Overview

Leaf fiber from the pineapple plant. Traditional piña cloth and modern coated leaf-fiber composites are different product forms.

Feel and behavior

Fine extracted fibers can form light, crisp cloth.

Where you find it

Piña textiles, specialty blends and composite sheets.

Source and geography

Pineapple leaf fiber (often abbreviated PALF) comes from the long leaves of Ananas comosus (Bromeliaceae). Leaves are a residue of fruit production, and pineapple crowns and leaves make up a large share of plant waste. Indonesia is reported to produce about 23 percent of world pineapples, and fiber is also produced or studied in the Philippines, Thailand and even the Azores. Traditional pina cloth depends on fine fibers scraped from the leaves by hand.

Advantages

Pina is exceptionally fine and sheer for a plant fiber and has a natural luster.
Its crisp hand holds shape and supports detailed embroidery.
The fiber comes from pineapple leaves, a byproduct of the plant.
Aklan handloom weaving is a UNESCO-recognized living tradition that supports local livelihoods.

Drawbacks

Pure pina is costly because extraction, knotting and weaving are slow hand processes.
The cloth is delicate, creases sharply and can split along fold lines.
Undyed pina can yellow with age and light if stored poorly.
Blends and synthetics are often sold under the pina name, and composition is hard to judge by eye.

Worth knowing

Aklan pina weaving was historically concentrated in the barangays of Old Buswang and New Buswang in Kalibo.
UNESCO inscribed Aklan pina handloom weaving in December 2023 at a committee meeting held in Kasane, Botswana.

Types, grades and fabrics

Types and grades

Pineapple leaf products fall into three families. Pina is the traditional Philippine handwoven cloth; in Aklan it is made from the leaves of a native pineapple called pinya Bisaya, whose fibers are extracted by hand. Blended pina fabrics include pina-seda, in which silk forms the warp and pineapple fiber the weft, and pina-jusi, a blend with jusi, a fabric described as abaca or silk; barong makers rank pure pina as the most expensive, followed by pina-seda and jusi. Industrial pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) is degummed, cut and blended for spun yarns or used in composites. Coated nonwoven sheets made from pineapple leaf fiber and sold as leather alternatives are a separate composite product, not woven pina.

Fabrics and products

Pina's signature use is the barong Tagalog, the Philippine formal shirt, along with women's formal blouses, handkerchiefs, veils and other fine clothing, often hand embroidered. The sheer, crisp cloth holds fine embroidery well. Pina-seda offers a similar sheer look with more strength and a lower price and is used for barongs, scarves and shawls. Industrial PALF has been ring spun into blended yarns and woven on power looms, and it reinforces composites. Nonwoven pineapple-leaf sheets bonded and coated with polymers are used for bags and shoes as leather alternatives.

Buying and care

How to judge quality

Genuine pina is translucent, crisp and slightly stiff, with a soft luster and fine, slightly irregular yarns. Machine-perfect uniformity, a slippery hand or a low price suggests synthetics or blends sold as pina. Ask whether the cloth is pure pina, pina-seda or pina-jusi, since prices differ widely. Hand embroidery shows small irregularities and knots on the back, unlike machine embroidery. For Aklan pina, ask about the weaver or cooperative. A burn test on a single thread from a hidden seam allowance separates synthetic filament, which melts, from pineapple fiber, which chars, and silk, which smells of burnt hair.

Care in detail

Pina and pina-seda garments are best hand washed or professionally cleaned; the label governs. To hand wash, use cool water and a small amount of mild, neutral detergent, swish gently without rubbing or wringing, rinse well, and roll the garment in a towel to remove water. Dry flat or on a padded hanger away from direct sun. Iron while slightly damp on a low to medium setting through a pressing cloth, working from the back of any embroidery; keep the heat low for pina-seda because it contains silk. Store in acid-free tissue in a cool, dry place, hung or rolled rather than tightly folded, because sharp folds can break fine fibers.

Care at a glance

Follow the complete product’s care label. Blends, dyes, finishes and construction can change suitable washing, drying and storage.

Environmental and social footprint

Pineapple leaves are a residue of the plant, so pina uses no extra land, and in Aklan the fiber comes from leaves of the native pinya Bisaya, harvested by farmers and extracted by hand. Hand scraping needs mainly labor and water rather than chemical degumming. The social dimension is central: UNESCO inscribed Aklan pina handloom weaving on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 6 December 2023, noting transmission within families and the spread of the craft from Kalibo to other provinces. Industrial PALF, by contrast, is degummed with alkali or enzymes before spinning, and the footprint of coated pineapple-leaf leather alternatives depends heavily on the polymer binders and coatings used.

Tradeoffs

Origin, processing inputs, labor, product construction and useful lifetime all need specific evidence. The name alone does not establish responsible production.

A useful question to ask: What exact material, product form and documented producer stand behind this name?

Science

Data sheet

Property	Value	Conditions	Source
Density	1.07 to 1.56 g/cm3	compiled literature range	[2]
Elongation at break	1.0 to 3.9 %	Azores fibers after 14 days of biological retting at 25 C	[1]
Thermal decomposition	about 200 to 380 C	main DTG peak for cellulose; hemicellulose shoulder about 200 to 300 C	[1]
Fiber diameter	about 35 to 168 microns	Azores fibers after 14 days of biological retting	[1]
Linear density	about 1.4 to 7.1 tex	Azores fibers after 14 days of biological retting	[1]
Tensile strength	37 to 993 MPa	Azores fibers after 14 days of biological retting	[1]

Cellulose-rich plant material

Seed, stem, leaf or other plant structure. Extraction and preparation vary.

Structure and chemistry

PALF has one of the highest cellulose contents among leaf fibers, reported up to about 80 percent or more, with relatively low lignin. Fibers are bundles of very fine elementary cells: enzymatic degumming separates bundles about 10 to 50 microns wide into individual cells of about 5 to 8 microns. Retted Azores fibers measured about 35 to 168 microns in diameter and 1.4 to 7.1 tex. Density is reported at about 1.07 to 1.56 g/cm3, and fiber properties vary strongly along the leaf, from base to tip.

From source to yarn

For pina, fibers are traditionally scraped from the leaves by hand, cleaned, dried, sorted by fineness and joined end to end into yarn for handloom weaving; pina cloth may also combine pineapple fiber with silk or other yarns. Research lines use biological retting (for example about 14 days at 25 C) followed by scraping, or mechanical decorticators, and then degumming with alkali or enzymes such as xylanase, cellulase and pectinase to soften and separate fibers. Suitably treated PALF has been ring spun industrially at up to about 80 percent PALF content and woven on power looms.

Performance in use

PALF is strong and stiff: retted Azores fibers showed tensile strength of about 37 to 993 MPa and elongation of about 1 to 4 percent, and some reviews report strengths above 1,000 MPa for fine fibers. Its high cellulose and crystallinity give luster and crispness, the qualities prized in sheer pina cloth. It absorbs moisture like other cellulosics. Enzyme-treated PALF has been naturally dyed with good fastness to washing, perspiration and light in AATCC tests. Degumming improves softness and spinnability but lowers load-bearing capacity.

How it is identified

Burn tests are indicative only: PALF burns like other cellulosic fibers. Microscopy shows very fine elementary cells in bundles, finer than most leaf fibers. Pina may be woven with silk or cotton, so a burn or solubility test on a single yarn can mislead; separate yarn systems should be tested. Nonwoven leather alternatives made from pineapple leaf fiber are coated composites and should not be described as woven pineapple cloth.

History

Timeline

2023UNESCO inscribed Aklan pina handloom weaving on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 6 December 2023. [3]
2024Long pineapple leaf fibers up to about 70 cm were extracted from Azores pineapple waste, with 14 days of retting at 25 C giving the strongest fibers. [1]
2025Enzyme-enhanced processing of pineapple leaf fiber was reported for green textile applications with natural dyeing. [4]

Philippine piña weaving developed a distinctive fine-cloth tradition. Modern leaf-fiber products also include nonwoven and coated composites that should be described separately.

The deeper record

In the Philippines, pina became a prestige textile: a sheer, lustrous handwoven cloth used for formal clothing and fine embroidery. Its hand scraping, sorting and weaving are slow, which has always kept output small and costly. This research pass could not verify specific dates, production centers or heritage listings for pina, so readers should consult official Philippine sources and the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage lists directly. Industrial PALF work is much more recent, with ring-spinning and power-loom trials reported in 2025 studies.

Labeling and law

Pineapple leaf fiber has no Annex I name in Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, so EU labels would normally declare it as other fibres with its percentage, and blended silk or cotton must be declared by their own names. In the US, covered textiles must disclose fiber content under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (15 U.S.C. 70 et seq.) and 16 CFR Part 303. Coated pineapple-fiber sheet materials contain polymer binders and coatings, so their full composition should be requested from the producer.

This describes what rules and standards cover. It is not legal advice; jurisdiction, product form and current rule text control.

Frequently asked

What is pina-seda?

Pina-seda is a handwoven blend in which silk forms the warp and pineapple leaf fiber the weft. It keeps much of pina's sheer, crisp look while being stronger and less expensive than pure pina. Because it contains silk, it should be ironed at a low setting and washed gently.

How can I tell real pina from imitations?

Real pina is crisp, translucent and slightly irregular, with a soft luster rather than a plastic shine. Ask for the exact composition, whether pure pina, pina-seda or pina-jusi. A thread burned from a hidden seam should char like plant fiber; synthetic organza melts and beads.

Is Aklan pina weaving UNESCO listed?

Yes. Aklan pina handloom weaving was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 6 December 2023, at the Intergovernmental Committee session in Kasane, Botswana. The listing recognizes the craft knowledge and its transmission, not particular products or sellers.

Is pineapple leather the same as pina?

No. Pina is a woven cloth of hand-extracted pineapple leaf fiber. Pineapple leather alternatives are nonwoven sheets of leaf fiber bonded and coated with polymers, so their composition, durability and end of life differ, and their full composition should be requested from the producer.

Sources

Cite this page

Chaos. (2026). Pineapple leaf fiber. In Fibers of Earth: An independent textile atlas. https://www.hendrickresearch.com/fibers/materials/pineapple/