Is pandanus poisonous? The king of my apartment is Pandanus! Reproduction of pandanus by dividing the bush

The pandanus flower is a kind of spiral palm tree with a rather lush crown. In natural conditions, the shrub is very similar to a palm tree due to the narrow elongated and thorny leaves growing as if in a spiral around the main axis. Pandanus got its second name (spiral palm) precisely because of these leaves. It is worth noting that this is an extremely spectacular plant from the Pandanovaceae family, which appeared on the islands of the Indian Ocean in a tropical climate.

The African tropics are the true homeland of the pandanus flower, the forests of Polynesia, Vietnam, as well as the island of Madagascar. Surprisingly, over 90 different species of this flower with somewhat spiny leaves grow on this island.

In its natural habitat, the evergreen, perennial flower of the helical palm tree can reach a height of over thirteen meters, while home flower pandanus, as a rule, does not exceed three meters in height.

You should immediately answer the question of whether it is possible to keep at home and take care of it at home - definitely yes, since in terms of care and ease of growing, pandanus is often recommended for beginners. Pandanus, despite its tropical origin, is very unpretentious, and easy to care for, so it is considered almost the best option for newbies.

However, it should be borne in mind that if you have small children or pets at home, then it may be worth refraining from keeping this flower at home. It's all about the sharp thorns along the lower central vein, and the rather thorny leaves of the plant, injuring themselves on which nothing terrible in general will happen, but itching, redness or even allergy may occur due to the natural poison contained in the leaves of the flower. It is also important to remember that the pandanus grows rather quickly to a large size and as it grows, it becomes more and more like a full-fledged palm tree.

Naturally, you can always remove the plant to a safer height, which neither a child nor a pet can reach, and take care of it more carefully. Moreover, pandanus also has quite positive aspects - for example, some properties of the plant.

Gallery: pandanus flower (25 photos)

Plant properties

Keep in mind that the pandanus flower is, in fact, a whole living organism that needs careful care, and in severe stressful situations it may well die. However, the flower also has a number of positive aspects, such as:

• saturation of the house with positive energy;
• improving brain function;
• stimulation of sluggish and inactive people to action;
• in the tropics, the leaves of the flower are used for medicinal purposes, for example, they chew the leaves for inflammation of the gums or in order to relieve toothaches.

Speaking of fruits, it can be noted that the pandanus is a bisexual plant that blooms exclusively in living, wild nature. Even with proper care at home, this palm tree will never bloom. The females of the plant resemble their own, but the males bloom with spikelets.

In its structure, the fruit of the pandanus flower resembles a pineapple, but with one difference - it has a round shape. The degree of ripeness of the fruit is determined by its color - it is green, red, and then bright red, but in certain areas of tropical forests you can also find orange, yellow and even blue fruits. Some of them can be edible, although the fruit is not found in regular city stores. Pandanus fruits are eaten by elephants, bats and crabs, and the locals even cook different dishes from the fruit of the palm flower. The thing is that these fruits also have quite useful properties, such as:

Popular varieties

In total, there are over 600 species of this exotic palm flower with thorny leaves in the world. However, all these species can be found only in the tropics. In the conditions of the usual, home, indoor climate, several of the most popular types of pandanus can be noted.

Pandanus Veitch

The homeland of this variety is East Asia. An evergreen delightful plant that develops in the form of a shrub with a shortened, tree-like trunk and root-branches. After some time, the lower part of the trunk of this variety begins to die off and the palm plant will continue to hold solely due to the basic roots, which gives an amazing impression that the flower seems to be hovering above the ground, and the thin but rather dense xiphoid bright green leaves, closely adjoin at the base and diverge in the form of a kind of fan.

However, at home indoor conditions, the Veitch pandanus flower grows very slowly, and only a dozen years after the moment of planting the plant can reach a height of only one and a half meters. On average, the length of a leaf plate with a width of about 6–8 meters is 70–90 centimeters. On the sides on the bright green foliage of the flower there is a rather contrasting, bright white stripe, and the edges of the foliage themselves have light brown thorns.

Sander: description

It prefers to grow in tropical climates and fairly moist forest soil. Timor's humid forest is the original home of this flower variety. The species is considered to be undersized due to the short trunk of the palm tree, but it has extremely long, stiff and belt-like leaves in comparison with other similar varieties (up to 90 centimeters in length and about 5 centimeters wide). As for the coloring of the flower, there is a yellow stripe in the middle of the leaf, and thorns along the edges of small sizes of a brownish color.

The cultivar works well as a houseplant, but keep in mind that it needs enough space to accommodate the leaves.

Pandanus Useful

The natural habitat of the plant is the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar. There, this tree can grow up to 20 meters in height, and the helical, tough leaves with red thorns along the edges can be up to 15 meters long and 5-10 centimeters wide with a dark green tint. The top of the stem ends with a spiral crown made of drooping leaves of the plant.

Being in the conditions of an apartment, room habitat, the flower can grow no more than two or three meters in height (depending on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room).

Covering option

It is a rather dense shrub with a branched stem up to 4 meters high. The crown of this flower variety has a pyramidal shape, consisting of straight and rigid leaves of a monochromatic color, and the base is located on an elevation due to aerial roots.

And also, in addition to the most popular varieties, there are many more decorative types of pandanus, so you can choose the most suitable plant that will harmoniously combine with your interior.

Growing and caring at home

First of all, it should be borne in mind that it is necessary to correctly select a place for the favorable growth of a houseplant, since an adult palm tree will take up a fairly large amount of space in the room, and the room should be quite high. And also on the indoor flower in no case should direct sunlight fall, but darkness (lack of light) is also destructive. The ideal condition for illumination of the pandanus is diffused, but at the same time, bright lighting.

In cases where daylight seems insufficient, artificial additional lighting can be carried out. It is best to place the lamp at a distance of about a meter from the palm tree, and the duration of the additional lighting should be at least about 6 hours (for the case with short daylight hours).

When choosing a place for pandanus to bloom, remember that it should not interfere with other inhabitants of the apartment, and also that the leaves of the plant are quite thorny. Among other things, it is recommended to periodically rotate the flowerpot with the growing spiral palm tree, as this will allow the pandanus to grow and develop evenly. However, in any case, do not take the indoor palm tree to air out in nature - this will definitely become a kind of stress for the plant.

Temperature and humidity

It is best to grow the spiral palm tree in a fairly warm environment. Keep in mind that in the winter season, the temperature in the place where the flower grows should in no case fall below 16 degrees Celsius, and in the summer season it should be above 20 degrees. Pandanus is definitely, although not particularly whimsical, but still extremely, it does not tolerate cold well, however, regular, but short-term light airing will definitely benefit the flower.

For good growth and development of a room palm, the humidity of the surrounding air is not particularly important, it perceives dry, standard air quite normally. Spraying should be done no more than twice a month. Make sure that no water collects in the axils of your palm leaves, otherwise, over time, the leaves will begin to rot.

Watering the plant correctly

Only filtered or at least settled water can be used for irrigation, the temperature of which should be approximately from +25 to +30 degrees. The watering itself should be timely and quite moderate, since excess moisture, on the contrary, can only harm the pandanus. Water only after you notice the soil in the plant pot is drying out. At different times of the year, you need to water the palm tree in different ways. For example, in winter, cold weather, the flower must be watered every 3 or 4 days, and in summer, one watering every second day is enough.

It will be useful to periodically spray the flower, as well as wipe the leaves from dust. Try to do this carefully enough to avoid getting hurt.

Fertilizers and soil

For an indoor palm, a fairly nutrient medium is needed with some, not very high, clay content. The necessary potting mix can be purchased at a gardening store or made by yourself. In case you want to prepare the mixture yourself, you will need the following ingredients in approximately the same proportions:

• sand;
• humus;
• leafy land;
• sod land.

Without regular transplants, competent pandanus care is simply impossible. They begin to transplant this flower when the roots are completely entwined with an earthen ball. The pot for transplanting must be chosen quite deep and such that it is several centimeters wider than the previous one. About a third of the container should be a drainage layer. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method. Be extremely careful and careful not to accidentally break off the airy, extremely fragile roots during handling. Try not to bury your palm too much and keep in mind that the roots should eventually remain on the surface.

In the first years of life, it is necessary to transplant pandanus annually, in adulthood - approximately every two to three years. The more often the palm is transplanted, the faster it grows. Accordingly, in order to slow down growth, transplant a little less often. Adult palms growing in rather voluminous tubs no longer need replanting. Maximum, if required, you can occasionally add some fresh soil.

Pandanus, or Pandan, is a plant from the tropics, brought to us from the islands of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a palm tree with thin, spiral leaves. In the apartment, the pandanus does not bloom, does not bear fruit, but this is fully compensated for by the high decorativeness of the plant itself. Pandanus care at home can be organized even by a beginner in floriculture.

The genus consists of 600 species. Most representatives are tall tree-like plants. There are specimens of 15 meters or more. Sometimes they form voluminous shrubs. Despite the external resemblance, this is not a palm tree - the pandanus has nothing to do with it.

As a support and a means for obtaining moisture, they release long aerial roots... Plants with a dead root part of the trunk are an interesting sight. They are held above the ground by aerial roots.

The shape of the leaves is xiphoid, the edges are sharp-serrated. Attached to the stem in a spiral. The lower leaves gradually fall off, leaving scars on the stem. The barrel takes the form of a screw. Flowers are small, yellowish, forming dense inflorescences.

As a houseplant, pandanus is more suitable for spacious apartments. It grows very quickly, tolerates dry air, easily tolerates short-term lack of watering and low illumination.

Important! The pandanus leaves have a serrated edge, and the central vein is covered with thorns. Exercise caution when transplanting. Wipe the leaves from the trunk to the top - in the direction of the growth of the thorns. It is undesirable to keep a flower in an apartment where there are small children - it is easy to get hurt on sharp thorns.

Varieties for growing in an apartment

Of the 600 species that grow in nature, only a few are suitable for home cultivation. They are more compact in size - they do not grow higher than 3 meters.

• Pandanus Veitch. The trunk is shortened. Releases many aerial roots. The leaves grow spirally, close to each other. The length of the leaves is up to 80-90 cm. The color is intense, green. Light stripes run longitudinally. The presence of thorns along the edge of the sheet is characteristic. Compact variety - grows on average up to one and a half meters.
  
  
• Pandanus is useful. Higher view. Grows up to 2-3 meters. Leaves are straight, branched, growing in a spiral. The color is deep green. Long - up to 1.5 meters. Red thorns are located along the edge of the leaf.
• Pandanus Sandera. The trunk is shortened. Leaves up to 80 cm. Background - green, stripes - yellow. The edges of the leaves are covered with small thorns.
  
  

Creation of an enabling environment and care

Pandanus is unpretentious. Creation of special conditions for its cultivation is not required. It responds to increased care with rapid growth and high decorativeness.

• Lighting. Will grow anywhere - in the sun or in partial shade. Variegated species do not put in the shade - the characteristic color becomes faded. At a young age, they are grown on a windowsill. Adult plants are placed in tubs on the floor, as close to the window as possible. To avoid curvature of the trunk, the flower is regularly rotated around its axis.
• Temperature. Temperature regime - 20-25 ° C. In winter, do not allow a decrease below 16 ° C. Try to avoid drafts.
• Humidity. Doesn't play a special role. It grows in both low and high humidity. Spraying is not advised. Water accumulates in the sinuses, leading to rotting of the stem. For hygienic purposes, wipe the foliage with a damp sponge.
• Watering. A large mass of leaves requires increased watering. The water temperature is 30 ° C. In winter, the growth of pandanus stops - watering is less frequent. The frequency is temperature dependent. The lower it is, the less often watering.
• Top dressing. Any fertilizer is suitable for deciduous crops. Observe the dosage and concentration indicated in the instructions. Frequency - 2 times per month. It is not recommended to apply fertilizers on dry soil. Optimally - on the day of watering.
• Transfer. The root system is sensitive and vulnerable. They resort to transplanting in extreme cases, replace it with transshipment. Young specimens have to be handled annually due to their rapid growth. Adults - if necessary to replace the pot. Air roots are left outside. The containers are heavy, stable, of approximately the same width and height.
• The soil. They use nutrient soils with a high mineral content. Potting soil is suitable for palm trees. Sod land should prevail in the soil for adult plants.

Advice! Pandanus can be used not only for landscaping, but also for air purification. Its large leaves absorb harmful substances, release essential oils into the air and enrich it with oxygen. Essential oils have an antibacterial effect and destroy pathogenic microflora.

Reproduction methods

Seed and vegetative propagation of pandanus is practiced. It grows from seeds longer, but over time forms a full-fledged "palm".

• Cuttings. Cuttings of 20 cm are cut from long lateral branches. It is not recommended to use short cuttings - the root formation process will be very slow. The sections are immediately treated with activated carbon powder. They form a substrate of peat and sand. Take them in equal proportions. Cuttings are planted in separate containers, under a shelter. Temperature for fast rooting is 25-28 ° C. The greenhouse is periodically ventilated, the cuttings are watered with a root growth stimulator. Rooting takes 1.5-2 months.
• Sowing with seeds. Seeds are sown without prior preparation. Keep under the film at 25-27 ° C. Germination is quite fast - it takes about 10-15 days. Seedlings are regularly watered, the greenhouse is ventilated. The first pick is at the stage of three true leaves. Bottom heating accelerates germination.
• By dividing the bush. Daughter rosettes with a developed root system (20 cm) are used. The socket is cut from the main plant. If the roots are short, their growth is stimulated. Sphagnum is attached to the base of the outlet, periodically moistened. They are planted in the spring. Cut off sockets before planting are dried within 24 hours. Planted in a separate pot. It is filled with alternating layers - drainage, main soil, river sand. The sockets are planted and covered with foil. Shelter is removed from matured plants. Bottom heating, keeping the temperature at 25 ° C, accelerates the rooting and adaptation of the young plant.

Important! Aerial roots should never be cut off. With their help, the pandanus receives additional moisture from the air. At low humidity in the apartment, air roots are not formed. This leads to a loss of stability, the need to use supports.

Common problems and illnesses

May be affected by all common indoor pests - spider mites, aphids, scale insects, mealybugs. If insects are found, insecticide treatment is carried out. Expressed violations of the recommendations on the content can lead to a decrease in decorativeness.

Pandanus is of interest to beginners and experienced flower growers. The main advantages are unpretentiousness, high decorativeness, rapid growth, the ability to purify the air.

Pandan, or pandanus (lat.Pandanus) - a genus of arboreal plants of the Pandanovaceae family, which includes about 750 species, growing mostly in the tropical climate of the Eastern Hemisphere. About 90 species of the genus grow on the island of Madagascar, pandanuses are found in Hawaii, along the coast of Western India, in the east North India, in the lowlands of Nepal, in West Africa, Vietnam and from Australia to Polynesia. Pandanuses adapt to various conditions: they grow on the seashore, along river banks, in swamps, as well as in mountain and alpine forests, on the slopes of volcanoes and on coral reefs.

Planting and caring for pandanus

• Bloom: the plant is grown as an ornamental deciduous plant.
• Lighting: in autumn and winter - bright diffused light, in summer and spring - light partial shade: eastern and western window sills are most suitable for the plant.
• Temperature: all year round - 19-25 ˚C. The lower temperature limit is 12 ˚C.
• Watering: in summer - regular and abundant, as the top layer of the potted substrate dries. In autumn and winter - moderate and less frequent.
• Air humidity: usual. Neither washing nor spraying the leaves is recommended. In conditions of too dry air, pandanus is placed on a pallet with wet expanded clay.
• Top dressing: from March to August - 2 times a month with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants. During the rest of the year, no top dressing is applied.
• Rest period: not pronounced.
• Transfer: young plants - annually, from the age of three - only if necessary, when the roots become cramped in the pot. This usually happens once every 2-3 years. Pandanus is transplanted by the transfer method.
• Reproduction: cuttings, dividing the bush, sometimes seeds.
• Pests: scale insects, false scales, mealybugs, spider mites.
• Diseases: root rot.

Read more about growing pandanus below.

Home pandanus - description

Pandanuses are tree-like evergreens, sometimes shrubs, reaching in natural conditions a height of 10-15, and sometimes 25 m. Outwardly, these plants look like lianas or palms. Pandanuses often form aerial roots that grow into the soil over time. With age, the lower part of the trunk of pandanus dies off, and the plant is kept in an upright position precisely due to the lignified aerial roots that have grown into the soil, which are called stilted.

The leaves of pandanus are linear, xiphoid, slightly grooved, sharply serrated at the edges, up to 4 m long and up to 15 cm wide.They are located on the trunk in two spiral rows, therefore the pandanus is called a spiral tree or a spiral palm tree. With age, the lower leaves fall off, and scars remain in their place. The flowers of the plant are small, yellow, unisexual, without a perianth, collected in panicles or on the cob, however, pandanuses rarely bloom in culture.

Spiral palm – unpretentious plant for spacious halls and winter gardens, which easily tolerates a lack of light and moisture, grows quickly, but requires a lot of space, so only young pandanuses can be kept in an apartment.

Caring for pandanus at home

How to care for a pandanus

The pandanus plant prefers bright light in fall and winter and light shade in spring and summer. The best place for it would be the sills of windows oriented to the east or west. The indoor pandanus can not put up with a lack of light for long: very soon the leaves of the pandanus, losing strength, begin to bend, and the variegated forms lose their original color. In case of insufficient lighting, it is necessary to install an additional light source for the pandanus at a distance of 60-70 cm, which should work at least 8 hours a day. To prevent the plant from developing one-sidedly, it must be turned to the light in different directions all the time. In winter, rooms with homemade pandanus must be regularly ventilated, but at the same time, the plant should be protected from drafts.

The pandanus flower thrives at normal room temperature - 19-25 ºС: it does not need the difference between summer and winter content. The main thing is that the column of the thermometer does not fall below 12 ºС.

Pandanus prefers moderate air humidity. If the air in the room is dry, place the flowerpot with the plant on a pallet with damp pebbles or expanded clay. Spraying or washing pandanus is not recommended, because water can enter the axils of the leaves, and this causes rotting of the stem. The leaves of the plant are wiped from dust with a damp cloth or washcloth from the base to the top, and it is better to carry out this procedure with gloves: the pandanus leaves are equipped with thorns.

In indoor conditions, the plant rarely forms aerial roots, but if they do appear, do not try to remove them, it is better to cover with wet moss so that they do not dry out, and keep the moss moist all the time. This is especially important in the summer. If pandanus does not form aerial roots at home, it loses its stability over time.

Watering the pandanus

In summer, the pandanus palm needs abundant moisture, but the top layer of the substrate should dry out between waterings. However, the entire earthen pandanus command must not be allowed to dry out. Water the plant with water warmed up to 35 ºС, and half an hour after moistening, drain the excess water from the pan. Water the pandanus 2-3 days after the topsoil in the pot dries out. In autumn and winter, watering the pandanus is reduced. Water for irrigation should be settled and not cold.

Feeding pandanus

During the spring-summer period (from March to August), the pandanus is fed every two weeks with a solution of a complex mineral fertilizer for ornamental deciduous plants. In autumn and winter, pandanus does not need feeding.

Pandanus transplant

Pandanuses are transplanted only when its roots have mastered the entire earthen lump: young plants annually, adults - once every 2-3 years. The roots of the pandanus are very fragile, so the transplant is carried out by the transshipment method.

The substrate for pandanus is prepared from leafy and soddy soil, sand and humus, mixing them in equal parts. The dishes need deep, it is filled by a third with drainage material. Before transplanting, the leaves of pandanus are lifted up and tied, then the plant is transferred into a new pot, and then the voids are filled with soil mixture. The pandanus in the new pot must remain at the same level at which it grew in the old one.

Reproduction of pandanus

Pandanus propagates by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.

Propagation of pandanus by seeds

Immediately after harvesting, seeds in seedlings are sown in a mixture of sand and peat or sand and leafy earth in equal proportions and covered with foil or glass. Contain crops at a temperature not lower than 25 ºС, regularly ventilating and moisturizing the surface of the substrate. Seedlings appear in groups in 2-4 weeks, but if you use a mini-greenhouse with bottom heating for germination, the seeds germinate earlier. When the seedlings develop 2-3 true leaves, they are planted in separate pots with a mixture of turf, sand and leafy earth in equal proportions.

Propagation of pandanus by cuttings

Pandanus cuttings are harvested from lateral shoots: their length should be at least 20 cm, since short shoots do not form roots well. Places of cuts are sprinkled with charcoal and dried, and then the cuttings are planted in a substrate of peat and sand (1: 1), covered with a glass cap or a transparent bag and kept at a temperature of 25-28 ºС, regularly ventilating and moistening the soil from a sprayer. Rooting of cuttings lasts 1.5-2 months, but when using a root formation stimulator and a mini-greenhouse, the process will go faster.

Reproduction of pandanus by dividing the bush

Daughter rosettes are formed in large numbers at the base of the trunk of the adult pandanus and in the axils of its leaves. They are separated from the mother plant when they reach a length of 20 cm and acquire their own roots. In order for these roots to appear, you need to overlay the bases of the children with sphagnum, moistening it from a spray bottle as it dries.

Cut sockets are dried within 24 hours. A layer of drainage material with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm is placed in a flat dish, then a layer of sod earth with a thickness of 6-7 cm, and on it - a layer of washed sand 3-4 cm thick. around the baby, sprayed with water from a spray bottle and cover the outlet with a glass cap or a transparent plastic bag. For successful rooting, the soil temperature must be at least 22 ºС. Rooting takes place in a month and a half. To speed up the process, phytohormones can be used. Months after two sockets, together with an earthen lump, are transplanted into a large container filled with a mixture of turf, leafy earth and sand in a ratio of 2: 3: 1.

Diseases and pests of pandanus

Pandanus pests

Pandanus at home is very rarely affected by pests, but sometimes you can find scale insects, scale insects and spider mites on it.

Shields form brown scaly formations on the leaves of the plant and leave a sticky discharge. These pests are destroyed by processing pandanus with Actellik and Karbofos.

Mealybugs removed with a cotton swab or a brush dipped in alcohol, after which the plant is treated with an anti-coccid drug, for example, Tolkoks, Diklox or Koktsigard.

Spider mites plant on a plant in conditions of low air humidity: dots (punctures) appear on the leaves, merging with each other. It is necessary to treat the pandanus with acaricide (Aktellik, Aktara) and increase the air humidity by placing the plant on a pallet with wet expanded clay.

Why does pandanus turn yellow

The plant is resistant to diseases, but sometimes the leaves of the pandanus turn yellow. Why does this happen? The most common cause of this phenomenon is an excess of light, watering with hard water or a high content of calcium in the soil.

From insufficient lighting, the leaves of the pandanus become smaller, and the variegated forms lose their original colors.

Low humidity causes the tips of the pandanus to dry out and turn brown, but keeping the plant on a pallet with wet pebbles will avoid this.

Types and varieties of pandanus

Pandanus Veitch, or Veitch (Pandanus veitchii)

An evergreen tree-like plant native to Southeast Asia with a shortened trunk and aerial support roots extending from it. Green leaves with a white bordering stripe up to 1 m long and 5-8 cm wide are arranged spirally, their edges are covered with light thorns with white tips. In culture, under favorable conditions, Veitch's pandanus can grow up to one and a half meters in ten years. The species has a variegated variegated shape. At home, Veitch's pandanus blooms very rarely.

A large plant, reaching a height of 20 m in natural conditions, and in culture it grows only up to 2-3 m. In addition, the pandanus that branches out after flowering, useful in room culture, does not bloom, therefore it does not branch. Screw-shaped dark green hard leaves along the trunk, densely dotted with reddish thorns along the edges, reach 1-1.5 m in length and 5-10 cm in width.

Grows in tropical rainforests of the Malay Archipelago. It is a plant with a short stem and dark green leaves with narrow yellow longitudinal stripes and few thorns along the edges. The length of the leaves is about 80, and the width is up to 5 cm.

An evergreen, branched shrub with stilted roots, growing in natural conditions 3-4 m in height. The leaves of plants of this species are linear, strongly tapering towards the ends, on which are located narrow white thorns. Pandanus hiding in nature produces sweet, tasty fruits of yellow, red or orange color. A variety of laevis is often found with two-meter-long leaves without thorns and white or pinkish flowers 5-10 cm in diameter. In culture, this type of fruit does not form, and it blooms extremely rarely.

Pandanus - signs

Can pandanus be kept at home

Despite the well-deserved popularity of the pandanus, sometimes readers of our site ask if it is possible to keep it in an apartment. It is rumored that it absorbs positive emotions and converts them into aggressive energy, which negatively affects unbalanced people, making them angry and too active. What is there to answer? Pandanic

After this article, they usually read

Pandanus is a flower that is native to the tropical region of the Indian Ocean. In good weather and climatic conditions, the monocotyledonous tree blooms beautifully and bears fruit.

Is it possible to keep the pandanus palm at home

In Russian conditions, the tree is kept indoors, then evergreen leaves grow on it. In its natural environment, the shrub is quite similar to a palm tree. The similarity of both plants is considered to be oblong leaves growing in curls and spirals. For this reason, the tree is otherwise called spiral pine. Caring for it is pretty simple.

Vietnam, Indonesia and other tropical regions located in the Eastern Hemisphere are considered the homeland of the pandanus. The plant has long thin leaves with green and white stripes growing in 3-4 tiers. Palm and dracaena at an immature age are often confused.
The pine tree has a peculiarity: the formation of aerial roots takes place on the trunk, gradually growing and taking root. Less often they are called stilts. These roots give the plant its resistance as it grows large.

Under natural conditions, over time, the lower sections of the trunk dry up and the flower continues to exist only thanks to stilted roots. The latter are not formed in indoor floriculture, but if they appear, then the air processes are not removed. In the heat, it is recommended to strengthen the roots with a regularly moistened layer of soil. If the plant has reached a large size in captivity, then props are installed in and around the flower pot, because the stilted roots cannot support the weight of the palm tree.

In nature, spiral pines are capable of flowering and bearing fruit. Certain species have edible fruits that are prone to cultivation. The taste and appearance of the fruit reminds everyone of the usual pineapples.

Pandanus is recognized as an ornamental flower, but it is not always suitable for living spaces. The question arises whether it is possible to keep a palm tree at home. Everything lies in the fact that it is capable of growing to an impressive size in a short time. Therefore, the tropical plant is ideal for spacious rooms with high ceilings. A young plant may well be cultivated in an ordinary apartment. But you need to know that the extreme and lower sheets have sharp thorns that can harm a child or animal. But despite all the circumstances, the flower remains attractive to most gardeners.

How to grow pandanus at home

Caring for the pandanus palm tree at home is not particularly difficult. Window sills located in the west or east are considered an ideal place for a plant. Bright diffused light is suitable for a flower.

On short sunny days, artificial lighting is done with a lamp, which is located 100 cm from the palm tree. The additional lighting interval should be about 6 hours. It is recommended to rotate the pot occasionally. Such a measure helps the pandanus to germinate and develop evenly. And it is not recommended to transfer the palm tree from the room to natural conditions.

A warm room is great for growing. In winter, the room temperature should not be less than + 15 ° C, and in summer - more than + 19 ° C. The heat-loving flower is negatively affected by drafts, but it is excellent for short-term regular airing.

It is necessary to water the screw pine only with settled water. In late spring and summer, the plant is fed every two days, and in winter - three. Any watering should be moderate and done only after the soil has dried. Excessive liquid will negatively affect the palm tree.

The humidity level in the room does not really matter. The pandanus palm is used to dry air. Spray it 2 times a month, but so that the liquid does not accumulate in the leaf axil. Excess water provokes the onset of decay.

The soil for the flower is chosen nutritious with clay inclusions. They buy already prepared soil or make it on their own.

For the mixture use:

• humus;
• leafy soil;
• sand.

They are mixed in equal proportions. The screw plant needs timely feeding. When it's warm, it is fertilized 2 times a month, and in cold weather - 1 time.

In the first few years, the spiral palm needs an annual transplant, and after growing up - after 2 or 3 years. After the roots have braided all the soil in the pot, the palm is transplanted. Before the procedure, the sheets are tied. The plant is transferred to a large container with a drainage layer. The pandanus is not deepened, leaving the same level. Each subsequent procedure assumes a slightly larger pot volume. If you plant a screw palm immediately in a barrel, the roots will not take root due to too much soil. And it is very likely that the process of their decay will begin. Frequent transplants contribute to the rapid growth of the flower.

The genus Pandanus belongs to the Pandanov family, whose representatives are distributed mainly in the tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere. And the place of appearance of Pandanus proper is the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar, from where these plants spread to other tropical zones.

Trees of these species grow in large mangrove groves on coasts and marshes. Large foliage of plants is used by local residents in everyday life as a material for roofs, boats, carpets, due to which one of the species is named Pandanus Roofing, which can also be grown as an indoor crop.

In some species, the fruits are edible and are used by the inhabitants of the tropics as seasonings. But you do not need to taste the fruits yourself, since in some species they are poisonous. The rest of the plant is not poisonous, but its leaves have sharp thorns, which are dangerous for children, this must be taken into account when placing the plant in an apartment.

Pandanus species

At home, it can be quite problematic to determine the variety of pandanus, since for many of them the main difference is the structure of the flower, and these trees do not bloom in the room.

Most often they are grown to decorate our rooms. This evergreen handsome man has a shortened shoot with hanging aerial roots, which eventually become the main support of the tree, since its lower part dies off.

The foliage of this species is located next to the section, it is pressed one to one at the base, and can reach almost a meter in length. This species is variegated - the center of its leaf is green, and the edges are with white stripes. With prolonged cultivation in room conditions, it reaches one and a half meters in height.

Another species often grown by gardeners is the one that has an impressive height. In the house, this tree grows up to 2 meters, its foliage is very long, sometimes up to one and a half meters. Like other species, it does not bloom when grown at home.

Came to us from the Malay Islands. It has a low stem, foliage is a little less than a meter, its edges are covered with small thorns, also a variegated appearance with yellow stripes.

Another type. The range of wild growth covers mainly India. The name, as you might guess, comes from the strong and pleasant scent of orange flowers.

There are also low species of pandanus, which grow a little more than half a meter (, Sedge ).

Pandanus home care

This exotic plant is native to the tropics and needs to be adapted to indoor conditions, but in general its cultivation is not difficult. When placing a tree in a room, it is better to select places well-lit by diffused rays.

In winter, there should also be enough light, so it is better to put a container with a flower near the south window, if necessary, you can add additional lighting.

From time to time, turn the bush towards the light, otherwise it may start to grow too much in one direction and fall.

Summer temperature is not so important for this plant, and in winter it should not be allowed to fall below 17 ° C. Of all the species, only the Pygmy and Useful pandanuses can survive short drops in the thermometer.

Read also about the brigamia palm tree for home care at the link.

Watering the pandanus

Although pandanus grows wild in very humid conditions, when grown indoors, its aerial roots are not so well developed and there is a danger of rotting with excess moisture.

Because of this, when watering the plant, you need to make sure that the top ball of the earth dries out, but the soil as a whole does not dry out. For this, one watering per week in summer and one for 14 days in winter will be enough. Water for irrigation should be used warm, soft, settled.

These plants are characterized by the need for high air humidity, so they need to be sprayed. This is done necessarily with a spray bottle so that water does not remain in the foliage axils.

Fertilizer for pandanus

In the spring and summer, the tree needs fertilization. In order for the pandanus to grow well, it will have enough complex feeding once every 15 days.

When the plant is mature and the large growth may start to interfere, feeding can be reduced.

Pruning pandanus

Although this activity is problematic because of the thorns, nevertheless, the foliage of the plant must sometimes be wiped with a damp cloth.

Children that appear abundantly near the trunk, and cut off the aerial roots are strongly discouraged. But the drying edges of the foliage should be cut off, but without touching the greenery.

Soil for pandanus

For planting a plant, you should choose a light soil with low acidity. For its preparation, clay and greenhouse soil, peat and sand are mixed in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 1.

When buying a ready-made substrate, it is better to pay attention to the soil for palm trees. It is also important not to forget about the drainage, which is made from expanded clay.

Pandanus transplant

Pandanus grows rather quickly, and a few years after planting it has many aerial roots, which also enhances growth, and this in turn affects the frequency of transplantation.

Young plants will have to be transplanted about once a year, more often this procedure, even if there is a desire, is not worth it. For adults, this process is applied every three years. Most often they use the transshipment method.

The new container is chosen a little more than the root. It is better not to take a too large tub, as the probability of soil acidification increases, which threatens with rotting of the rhizome.

If your tree is already very large, and you want to limit its growth, stop transplanting, but simply change the upper balls of the substrate in the tub. Transplanting an adult plant alone is problematic and easier to do with two.

If you need to leave, then you should not be afraid for your pet. The Pandanus will survive your absence without harm. Before leaving, you need to do good watering and set the pot aside from the window. If your absence will be quite long, then it is better to put the tub with the plant in a container with expanded clay, and also put the latter on top of the soil.

Reproduction of pandanus by shoots

Most often, in order to propagate the pandanus, its children are rooted. Material is cut from the trunk, on which small roots a couple of centimeters in size have already formed. If necessary, it is possible to make the roots form faster, you just need to wrap the bottom or processes with raw sphagnum. You can also dip the shoots in water to stimulate root formation.

After separation from the mother plant, the shoots are dried during the day and planted in a light and nutritious soil, which can be made from sand and peat. After planting, the baby is covered with film to maintain high humidity and kept at a temperature of about 23 ° C, spraying from time to time. With rooting, the film is removed.

Having carried out this procedure in the spring, you can achieve good results.

Pandanus propagation by cuttings

Also, if your pandanus produces side shoots, then it can be propagated by cuttings.

The material must be dried, and the cut site must be powdered with activated carbon. Cuttings are planted in the same way as children - in a mixture of sand and peat, covered with a film.

Diseases and pests

Subject to the conditions of care, pandanus almost does not cause any problems.

• If the air in the room is too dry or there is a lack of moisture in the soil, then it leaves will dry starting at the tips.
• With aging the lower foliage will fall off by itself, but if it happens quickly, then most likely the problem is a lack of moisture.
• Small foliage and lack of growth , the absence of white stripes in variegated species indicates a lack of light.
• If, on the contrary, there is too much of it, then foliage will turn pale and burns are formed on it. Also, whitening leaves can be a sign of watering with hard water.
• Yellow foliage indicates violations in the root system. This usually occurs due to rot, which appears with excess moisture, low temperatures and drafts. Yellow foliage can also cause insufficient watering.
• Pandanus is almost not attacked by pests, and from those that may appear, they emit mealybug , spider mite and shield .