great example of the 3 growth phases of Pandanus utilis, Screw-Pine

[Eric in Orlando]

I saw this Pandanus utilis, Screw-Pine, growing a couple blocks from the beach in Jupiter, FL. On the far left are young, trunkless seedlings. On the far right is a trunking juvenile. At this stage it still has the colorful red spines. The leaves are still very long and the trunk has not branched. In the middle is a nice adult specimen. It has branched and the leaves are much shorter as is natural for a mature specimen. Pandanus utilis is native to Madagascar and is the most common pandan in central and south FL.

[virtualpalm]

This is great, Eric. Thanks!

Jody

[Eric in Orlando]

I thought it was really cool to see this in one location.

[Tropicgardener]

Great to see photos of mature specimens......there is one around the corner from me seeding that is much smaller than that one........The locally native Pandanus tectorius is more commonly grown around here. People seem to drag seeds up from the beach and plant them around the place.

[Eric in Orlando]

Pandanus tectorius is a really nice pandan. Ours have been fast growing and are easily 20ft now. They are also more cold tolerant than P. utilis.

[Tropicgardener]

Pandanus tectorius is a really nice pandan. Ours have been fast growing and are easily 20ft now. They are also more cold tolerant than P. utilis.

Eric their distributions takes them a far way south across the border into New South Wales down to around Port Macquarie which is just out of the subtropics. So I suppose that would be why they are more cold tolerant. Despite their prickly nature I love Pandanus and have got a few unusual ones. Now that spring is here I have to glove up and de-pup my Fat Boy Pandanus as everyone is asking for one.

[Eric in Orlando]

^{Fat Boy, is that a P. dubius (syn. P. pacificus) ???}

[Tropicgardener]

^{Fat Boy, is that a P. dubius (syn. P. pacificus) ???}

Yeah that is the one........one of the more cold sensitive of the Pandanus, mine does ok for me here but gets a bit of spotting in winter.

[ThunderSRQ]

^{Very nice Eric and thanks, as well, for posting this -- I was just trying to explain how this plant chages as it grows to a friend of mine, and now I can just direct them to your information here!}

^Tim

[LowDesertBoil]

Whats the census on this plant making it in the low desert, 120 plus in summer? Is it worth it?