high ambient moisture, high level of heat, moving air and more sun exposure increases plants transpiration rate and its nutrients uptake; in conjunction with heavy episodic fertilization rate, and dry air alone will cause the tip of the foliage to be burned.
while the lower leaves normally and generally wilt due to old age.
of course, you have to consider this and that particular plant if it's more specialized in this and that culture.
(pandanus amarylifolius, the only pandanus species with aromatic leaves here in the hot, humid tropics can withstand full sun when established, if given weak, episodic solution of fertilizer, and lots of water, and if ventilated well.)

for the medium, a free-draining soil mix is the rule of the thumb for most plants, as it prevents water logging, which can suffocate and kill the plant roots.
you can water the plant when an inch to the soil column is dry to the touch, but do no try to underwater as it can cause undersirable damage to the plant.

Thank you for the advice! Do you think a 5-1-1 mix would suit it? I will try to give it as much sun and mist it as regularly as I can. I wanted to wait until the spring time to repot it, but the pot it's in is so small for the plant that it tipped over during the night.

Purchased a Pandanus Screw Pine Plant in Johannesburg South Africa and cannot seem to identify the actual plant species- The margin of the leaf strap has spines together with the central underside of the leaf and has a cascading habit - Has an amazing shine to the leaves witj that said looks almost artificial - Would appreciate the identification and how to care for the plant outdoors -Thanks marjoy@telkomsa.net

Looks like Pandanus utilis. In Johannesburg you might get some leaf burn in winter, they generally like it sunny and warm. They grow quite large so you need some room around it, the spines on the leaves can be quite a nuisance. They're reasonably easy to grow and can be fairly drought tolerant, but look better with good watering.

"they grow quite large..." bwahahahaha!

I recently had to hack mine back with a chainsaw--it was about 15 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. They sprout pups all around the base and keep getting wider and wider.

Pandanus amarylifolius, the one used for cooking is a very aromatic plant. I love using it to cook with rice and some dessert. Unfortunately, it's a rare plant and not easy to find where I am, but I finally did find a couple. The first one did not make it even though I brought it indoor when it was cold outside. The second one also died when I forgot to bring it in when the temp dipped. The one that died indoor apparently also needed a lot of light, moisture and heat. Indoor temperature was ok, but it's the insufficient light and moisture that caused that plant to become diseased before dying off in my case.

P. amarylifolius is more cold sensitive than P. utilis but a lot of people grow it as a bog plant or with the pot sitting in water. Mine's in the soil/garden and in a spot where it doesn't really get enough sun or water. It's about 4.5 metres long, it keeps sprawling along the ground. P. utilis is a much stockier plant/tree not so prone to suckering unless the trunk is damaged.

Steiconi, you should have planted P. brosimos, grows to over 30 metres tall and never suckers ;-)

I didn't plant it, the previous owners of the house did. One on each side of the driveway, right at the road. Must have been cute when small, but left to themselves, they would fill in my driveway. I have to keep hacking it back so I can see far enough to pull out safely. I'm trying to get it to look more like a tree than a Tribble.

I remember yours from a post previously. There's one that I drive past occasionally growing beside a fence. Much taller than yours but hasn't suckered like yours. It has a lot of aerial/prop roots and looks really good. Been meaning to get a photo of it but never seem to have the time when I drive by. Next week I'll be out that way again and will try to get a photo to post here.

Thank you for your info tropicbreezent and steiconia - TB can you be more specific as you seem to be familiar with the conditions up here on the Highveld in Johannesburg and would appreciate your input -. I planted her into a large 40 mm pot - and she fared well up until now as we face the onslaught of a (hopefully) mild .winter. Taking precaution I have settled her indoors where she will not enjoy the almost nine hours of sunshine that she does in my garden which has full sun.

The nights are chilly as the temperatures are dropping to a low - currently , 7o C

We had a few weeks of torrential rains at the beginning of April-

Her leaves are turning orange at the Base although the mid and top section are a healthy green - I do think she will be discarding those leaves in the near future.

She has grown by leaps and bounds but is showing the effects of the elements.

What do you think of her condition?

Regards,

marjoy@telkomsa.net

Sorry for not getting back earlier, I've been away. Your plant looks good. Your problems in
Johannesburg will be the low temperatures outdoors. I had a friend from
Joburg who used to say how you could look out the window on a beautiful
clear sunny day but when you stepped out the door you'd freeze. Problem
with a dry high altitude inland climate. I wouldn't let the plant get
below 10C (at night). While indoors let it get maximum light possible.
When moving it outside in warmer weather don't take it from low light to
full sun suddenly. It'll need time to adjust or else the leaves will
burn. Keep it shady for a while with only early and late direct sun. It
can gradually be brought into more direct sun.

Thanks TB ! You know your subject ! Ever so grateful to you for sharing with me. Understandably the soil in the 40mm pot that encompasses her makes it a weighty prospect to move and must find a suitable spot where she can settle at least until early September.

In the future would however like to make her a garden specimen whereby she could reach her full potential instead of confining her to a pot.

As she ages would she become acclimatised and be content to withstand the conditions here in Johannesburg ? receiving almost eight hours of full sunshine the summers are sublime with temperatures reaching the late 20's /30oC and the winters border on the ridiculous with lows of 1oC or -1oC

Look forward to hearing your opinion.

Regards,

marjoy@telkomsa.net

Outdoors will be problematic. If you were in Durban it'd be much better. However, there are agricultural frost cloths you can use to protect plants. These may not prevent leaves being burned by the cold. If the plant gets set back/dies back but survives it will sucker prolifically. You'll end up with a not so tall thicket. This can also happen if they dry out too much or get damage on the trunk. If you could grow it against a north facing wall (masonary or concrete) that retains heat and put a cover over it during cold nights that might work. But I still think you'd get a lot of leaf damage that would look unattractive for long periods. In a pot you could always cut the top off when it gets too tall and then just grow the suckers on until they get too big.

Plants don't really adapt, not like people. And people really only adapted by wearing animal furs, lighting fires and living in caves when the weather was bad. Plants aren't at that stage and need us to that sort of thing for them.

Dear TB, As we are well aware the Papino is a much loved fruit here in South Africa usually grown up North and not in this region and know of two different cases whereby the seeds were scattered in a Sandton garden up here on the Highveld and the trees have reached maturity and are bearing loads of fruit which is very rewarding.

I am still enjoying a flush of roses even in early May and it is yet to be seen if they can withstand the onslaught of the winter or at least until June.

I would not be inclined at any time to offer the Pandan to the harsh elements yet wonder whether success has been obtained here placing a Pandan in an outdoor position in the ground.

The real beauty of the healthy strap like leaves whilst indoors may cause us to forgo the anchor roots which extend from the Base and that are so characteristic of the species.

Of this I may never see her reach her full potential.

Regards,

marjoy@telkomsa.net

Have you checked out the botanic gardens in Johannesburg? You never know, they might have tried it.

Hi. I have an issue with my pandan plant. Im growing it at the balcony with strong morning sun. it used to look healthy like the first pic. However, recently its growing whitish spots and the leaves become thinner. Could anyone here help me get the plant back to healthy? thanks!!!

Assuming that you are in the tropics? Southern Hemisphere?

It kinda reminds me of spider mite damage, but we have almost no cultural information to work with. Is this pandan (Pandanus amarylilfolius)?

Mostly, Pandanus are easy plants, pandan I find is more challenging in my opinion as it has about 0 drought tolerance.

i live in Singapore. i don’t know the scientifc name, but it’s a common home plant in South East Asia, and it’s commonly known here as pandan.

how do i verify if it’s spider mite damage?

thanks!

Google Spider Mites to get an idea of what they look like then use a magnifying glass to check the leaves n your plant.