Pandanus Veitchii

Question:
I want to thank you for your Answer:s you provided to me in September 18 2015 regarding the Pandanus Veitchii Plant.  I received a 2′ Pandanus Veitchii from a lady who has one in her office.  The one I received was from her plant.  When I received it, the soil had a lot of white on the ground.  I didn’t know what it was so I repotted it 2″ more with new soil.  Also, the roots were sticking out from the bottom of the pot.

It is now June, 2016 and the plant is doing great and has small sucklings coming out.  What I want to ask is if it would be okay to put the plant outdoors?  As I stated before, I live in the City of Toronto, Ontario and our weather is not always great either night or day.  If I was to put it out, I would like to give it some shelter but I don’t really have anything to put over it.  Can you suggest anything and if you feel I should just keep it indoors?

Answer:
I am happy to learn that your Pandanus is doing well. Pandanus is a tropical plant that grows outside only in warm climates, such as Florida. So it would not do well in Toronto during the colder months. You could move it outside now as long as temps remain above 50 degrees F., but it would then have to be moved back inside in the fall.

If you do move it outside for the summer, then be very careful to protect it from direct outdoor sunlight. Because you have had yours inside where the sunlight is much less intense, the direct outdoor sun would damage the leaves. Outside, it should be in a location that is lightly shaded at all times.

Given the problems with temperature and light, my recommendation is to find a sunny indoor location and keep it there year round.

Keep up the good work!