Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted plant

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Stan
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Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted plant

#1

Post by Stan »

I ordered one. How many plants can you grow that have stilt roots? I know there are cool mountain Pandanus that grow here...but P.utilis is the looker in the family. In soucal are they big water needy plants? They look so tough and stiff seems like they should do well on average water. ALL me guessing.

I did find one being grown in a Atrium of a temperate climate home. That might be a Redwood in the back ground.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Steph115 »

Ah stilt root plants never get old do they. Beautiful plant!
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Viegener »

These grow like weeds in Hawaii
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#4

Post by Agavemonger »

Pandanus utilis grow fine in Southern California given ideal conditions. They need good soil and plenty of sun, water, and regular fertilization. They get to be large trees quite fast, so need to be given plenty of room. They are frost sensitive, especially as young plants, so ideally they need to be sited in a more-or-less frost-free area. Their reddish-orange color tones and large stilt roots make for very impressive specimen plants.

Some of the other Pandanus species will also grow well once they get established in the ground. Just make sure and give all of them plenty of room, as they will inexorably attain a very large size, so consequently should be given a very large footprint.

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Stan
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#5

Post by Stan »

This winter its going to be on the porch- frost kept off and getting lots of the warming early sun until mid afternoon. I kept quite a few tenders going on that porch over the years. I think I might pot it up a size larger than it looks like it might need with so much warm weather to go..It can root better.
Should be here any day now. Will post!
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Stan
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#6

Post by Stan »

It came. Strapped leaf. I expected fan leaves. Is this normal or- Lord,dont let it be not P.utilus-another species?
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#7

Post by Agavemonger »

Can't tell for sure; looks like a different species. Pandanus utilis normally has an orange-ish tint to it. Pandanus all have strap leaves; they emerge in a spiral which makes them appear to be fan leaves, although they are not! ::wink:: (I can tell by the photo that yours are spiraling; so, not to worry-- yours will look just like the big plant in the photo, once it really gets going.

Get it planted right away, keep it wet, and try to get it carefully hardened off this summer so it can be in full sun by fall. The more hardened it is, the better it will do through this coming winter, which will be your critical period. Once it is fully hardened, it should be able to take the winter just fine.

Looks like a greenhouse plant; an awfully big plant with apparently not too many roots; now it becomes a race to get it thoroughly rooted in by winter. Best might be a five-gallon pot, and tie the leaves somewhat loosely together with a circular string about half way up so they don't just fall over and burn. Bury it up a couple inches to keep it firm in the pot, and don't use too light of a soil mix, so it doesn't flop over too much. Fertilize regularly with a 20-20-20 liquid @ 1/2 recommended strength. ::wink::

Be careful of the marginal teeth; they are really nasty and sharp and have "venom" to boot!

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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#8

Post by Stan »

Here it is potted up and photo taken with flash. What do you think Monger? P.utilis as the label says or P.tectorius? I'm not getting a P.utilis- what I ordered- vibe.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Stan »

I moved it into very bright indirect -and ,much warmer spot. Behind all my fat plant collection. So,its getting light bouncing off the house and filtered sun from above. I can see the red edges now. Its looking like a very good summer in the Hay bay area..75-80f everyday now. And warmer. It should root very fast.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Agavemonger »

Looks fairly established and reasonably healthy. Now you just need to harden it off and get it growing. I would bury it up a little more in order to get roots to grow higher up the stem; it looks like if you just fill the pot all the way up with soil it would be enough.

I would fertilize every week at half strength in order to get it growing as fast as possible in order to harden it into California conditions. That will help to get a good root system established as quickly as possible. I would very slowly move it towards full sun a little bit every few days. If you can get it growing well and into full sun by September you should have a chance at getting it through the winter. Keep it on the wet side throughout the summer; these plants are tropical. They are quite tough once hardened and thoroughly established, but delicate until they are. ::wink::

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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#11

Post by Stan »

Thanks Monger. I wondered about that thin stem exploding into lots of foliage. Must have been grown under some cover in hot Florida. I got a deal,I think $16. plus shipping etc. Almost the price of seeds.
I just found the first ever Foxtail palm ( with a few feet of trunk meaning its years old) growing in town. I know they like warm summers..hot even. Things have sure changed in my lifetime. Nights are running 6f above average since May.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#12

Post by Agavemonger »

Yeah, you got a good deal.

Sure hope you can get it going fast and keep it going.

I planted two different species in a garden I worked on in Vista, California a number of years ago.

There are now two huge Pandanus utilis with many heads and about fifteen feet tall, both with quite a few two-inch thick stilt roots about five feet long and super stiff like an oak tool handle. One of them was originally a good-sized 24" box, and the other I planted in between three large granite boulders on the side of a steep bank as a floppy little plant with six inch leaves in a four inch pot. When my client came home from work that day, he stated "That will never grow there". Now, whenever I tour his garden with him and we walk by the big plant, I always comment quietly "that will never grow there!" The little plant actually eventually outgrew the 24" box after about five or six years. Both are now magnificent plants. I am a little afraid as to how large they will eventually get; they are still growing inexorably larger, and they haven't even flowered yet! D))

I don't know what the other species is, but it spirals nicely with about two hundred five-foot long leaves. I will try and post some pictures one of these days.

Just remember that, for sure, these plants are frost sensitive, especially as small plants. I lost a pretty good-sized batch of two gallon plants that weren't quite hardened off one winter when it hit about twenty-nine degrees f.

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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#13

Post by Stan »

Thanks Monger. Its interesting they do so well right to the beach in soucal. Its probably always going to be a container plant. But,I will go as large a container as I can, to get it to "look like something".
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Stan »

What a difference a few days of high 80's low 90's in summer will do. The red teeth are very prominent now. Has to be P.utilis.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#15

Post by Stan »

Update: Its now getting full sun,old leaves were pruned and I can tell you- this plant is vicious! Not only are those teeth very sharp..the old pruned fronds seem to stick to your skin,adding the cutting potential when they snag. Woe is you if one Pandanus leaf slips through your grip! :shock: It will slice and dice you.
Still,what a great large potted plant it will make. :8:
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Stan »

They really are Pampas grass on steroids.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#17

Post by Stan »

10 months later after a winter outdoors (no protection)and spring,its starting new growth in June. Its got one air root sent down. Cool. Slow metabolism, you have to be careful not to over water and safest to fertilize only once the warmest days get going here- mid June.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Stan »

Looking at the photo..it stands out as near underpotted. I might go up. Its now or never. What a disappointment this spring and near summer has been. You imagine June in January with long sunny 80's days..and you get here and they say 68f. Downer!
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Melt in the Sun »

I agree with the underpotted thing. That black pot that it's propped on seems about right to me.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

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Post by Stan »

Plus- It should be planted deeper by about 2 or 3 inches. I cant remember exactly why I didn't center it. It just had a shape that was hard to center the rootball..and then not have the top to the edge-plus it was bare root. Now that its rooted I can do it the right way. I wonder if Pandanus would thrive in Arizona? Its not as water needy as you might think. Loves heat. Exotic as all get out.
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Re: Pandanus utilis. In California. with photo of potted pla

#21

Post by Stan »

Went with your advice Melt. I put it in that pot..but 4-5" lower then the top of the (15g) pot. Otherwise proportions were good. As by the photos..it had nice healthy roots..but a loose root ball. Not loose enough to fall apart..but it was in no way so solid like almost any other large C&S would be after a year. Interesting. I went with pro mix and perlite the bottom few inches and then just pro mix the rest of the way..and when I see its going good..can top a couple more inches of compost. I tell you..it does need root room in California outdoors. Nothing like that photo of a huge indoor plant in a half barrel. You can see the swirl pattern starting. Between it and Aloe polyphylla's spiral young kids can trip out looking from above :eek: :lol:
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Spiral,screw,whatever...fun to see.
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Nice roots.
Nice roots.
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