No wonder this showy Fittonia species is aptly nicknamed Mosaic Plant! Its intricately-designed leaves with contrasting coloured veins will provide a marvelous mosaic display that will attract and captivate all season through!

These beautiful ornamental foliage plants make great houseplants, especially if displayed on bathroom shelves or bookshelves in shallow containers with their branches cascading down! Also wonderful when grown outdoors as plant fillers for garden beds or as groundcovers in tropical and warmer regions!

Calling it Mosaic Plant or Nerve Plant with features that resemble its showy appearance is so much easier than by its tongue-twisting botanical names! Researching to write this post really got us so confused…is it Fittonia albivenis, verschafeltii, argyroneura or what? Humph…so many conflicting info online as usual!

Anyway, we’d rather fall back on the dependable, reliable and well-researched GRIN Taxonomy provided by USDA ARS, National Genetic Resources Program here.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Fittonia albivenis (Lindl. ex hort. Veitch) Brummitt
  (synonyms: Adelaster albivenis (basionym), Fittonia argyroneura, Fittonia verschaffeltii, Fittonia verschaffeltii var. argyroneura, Gymnostachyum verschaffeltii)
• Common Name: Mosaic Plant, Nerve Plant, Painted Net Leaf, Silver Fittonia, Silver Net Leaf/Plant, Silver Nerve, Silver Threads, Snakeskinplant
• Family name: Acanthaceae
• Origin: Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru
• Plant type: Perennial ornamental herb
• Features: Fittonia albivenis belongs to the genus Fittonia which consists of fifteen known species. It’s a compact, low-growing creeping perennial from the moist tropical rainforests of South America, reaching typically between 15-30cm in height and branching out to about 30cm wide. It has a tendency to vine when larger.
  An evergreen herbaceous plant that is popularly cultivated for its lush and attractive mosaic or net-patterned foliage. Now, numerous cultivars have emerged with fabulous variegation and some varieties have crenate or wavy leaf margins too. The beautiful variegated leaves, entire and opposite, attached to fuzzy stems are typically olive, dark green or lighter and distinctly veined in white to deep pink, in marvelous contrast. The size of its textured blades varies between 3-10cm long, depending on the varieties. The miniature compact forms have oval-shaped leaves with pointed tips while the larger leaves of the standard forms are broadly ovate and obtuse.
  These beauties are classified into two groups: the variety ‘Argyroneura’ with medium green leaves and white or silver veins, while ‘Verschaffeltii’ has dark green leaves with pink to rose-red veins.
  Fittonia albivenis produces a greenish spiky-shaped inflorescence with tiny insignificant flowers, white to yellowish in colour, appearing occasionally in good growing conditions.

• Culture (Care): Fittonia albivenis or Mosaic Plant, though known to require a little more extra care to grow, is well worth the trying! Just remember, it’s most happy with constant warmth, high humidity and bright light!
  Light: Best in bright indirect light or filtered sunlight but avoid direct sun that may ruin the foliage.
  Moisture: Water regularly, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. It’s sensitive to overwatering or underwatering. Yellowing of leaves resulting in browning and eventual dropping may indicate overwatering. A ‘fainting’ plant indicates it needs to be quenched whereby a quick watering will do the trick to revive it! It enjoys high humidity, so mist it as often as possible or alternatively, stand the pot on a tray of pebbles filled with water to just below the pot’s base. Withering of leaves may signify the need to increase humidity.
  Soil: Prefers an organic-enriched potting soil that retains water yet drains well.
  Others: Remove withered leaves and emerging flower spikes that are insignificant, if any. Occasionally pinch off ends of growing stems to maintain height and shape, as well as to promote more branching and denser foliage. Feed every two weeks with a general liquid houseplant fertilizer during active growth but sparingly during cooler clime. Mosaic/Nerve Plants rarely require repotting as they have shallow roots and grows well in small pots. When potbound, repot them in spring or when plants become straggly over the years, repropagate to rejuvenate them.
  Relatively free from serious pests and diseases, though watch out for mealy bugs, spider mites, snails and slugs.
  For subtropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 11-12. These plants are happy with warm to moderate and draft-free conditions, so try to provide even room temperatures between 18-24°C. Good light, high humidity and sufficient watering are its main needs too. But be cautious with watering which should be reduced slightly from spring to late winter and feeding done sparingly in winter. It is frost-sensitive, so best to plant in containers that can be easily overwintered indoors for non-hardy regions.

• Propagation: Propagated by tip or stem cuttings that root easily in moist potting soil and located in a warm, humid spot. Alternatively, propagate by division.

• Usage: Fittonia albivenis is a great choice for terrariums and bottle gardens due to its need for high humidity, and being small, neat and compact in size, it’s just perfect. It’ll be an excellent colourful houseplant too, to brighten homes or offices, indoors. And, suitable for growing in a greenhouse or conservatory and even lovely to let it cascade over a hanging basket or window boxes. Great as a container plant or outdoors, as a groundcover in garden beds or borders.
  It’s used as a traditional medicine by the natives of the Ecuadorian Amazon. According to the Neurologist, Dr. Ethan B. Russo, the natives use the decoction of the bruised and boiled plant to relieve headache or muscle pains, and a leaf tea to ease urinary pain or difficulty.

Some named cultivars of Fittonia albivenis (F. verschaffeltii) are:

• cv. ‘Minima’ (dwarf variety): has smaller medium-green leaves with silver-white veining; blades are more ovate with pointed tips
• cv. ‘Nana’ (dwarf variety): has small medium-green leaves with silver-white veining; blades slightly larger and less pointed at tips than the above variety
• cv. ‘Superba’: has very large leaves and ivory-white veining
• cv. ‘Pink Star’: has small pink leaves with green margins and spots; wavy leaf margins
• cv. ‘Red Star’: has small pink to red leaves with green margins and spots
• var. pearci ‘Superba Red’: has dark-green, pink-veined leaves

The newer range of neat and compact-growing cultivars with their explosive foliar colour variegation on undulated and crenate leaves, never seen before, will surely surprise and delight many as it did me, when I chanced upon their loveliness at Garden Voices

Other external links:

• TopTropicals
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• University of Florida, IFAS
• Guide to Houseplants

Do enjoy a couple more Nerve Plant pictures, taken from a local garden nursery:

An attractive plant with clusters of brightly coloured trumpet-shaped flowers, standing tall above its elegant and symmetrically arranged foliage. It’s considered as the ‘Queen of Houseplants’ for its striking beauty, durability and reliability.

Typical floral colour is a brilliant orange with yellowish throat that contrast fabulously with its dark green foliage. But, of course, other pastel and darker shades are available too and as catchy.

Simply beautiful and spectacular as an indoor plant or outdoors in the garden. And, it’s popularly sought after because of its ease of care.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Clivia miniata
• Common Name: Bush Lily, Kaffir Lily, Clivia Lily, St John’s Lily, Fire Lily
• Family name: Amaryllidaceae
• Etymology: The genus name, Clivia, was named by John Lindley in 1828 to honour the Duchess of Northumberland, Lady Charlotte Clive who first cultivated the type specimen in England. Miniata, refers to the red-lead colour of the species’ flowers. Learn more about the history of Clivia from the Clivia Society, South Africa.
• Origin: Native to Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Swaziland in southern Africa.
• Plant type: Perennial ornamental herb
• Features: Clivia miniata belongs to the genus Clivia which consists of six known species and it is the most widely cultivated species among the lot. Though endemic to the moist and shady forest floors of southern Africa, they’re popularly cultivated worldwide for their beautiful and long-lasting blossoms. To date, there are numerous hybrids and cultivars due to extensive breeding over the centuries.
  It is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial that suckers freely and reaches to a height of about 80cm. An evergreen beauty that produces glossy and dark green leaves which arise from a thickened underground stem with fleshy or bulbous root system. Its elegant and arching leaves are strap-shaped with tapering tips, varying in width and length that range between 5-9cm wide and 60-90cm long. These dense tufts of sessile leaves appear in opposite and alternating sequence, distichously arranged in a beautiful fan-like appearance and creating a stout pseudo-trunk at the base, similar to Agapanthus (African/Blue Lily), another beautiful native of South Africa.
  Its striking clusters of trumpet-shaped blossoms are borne on an erect and thick flowering scape, up to 60cm tall or more. The large and showy umbels will typically comprise of between 12-20 flowers, though has known to number in excess of 40 flowers, in varying shades. Beside the usual brilliant orange with yellowish centers, flower colours vary from the pastel shades of white, cream, yellow, apricot and peach to the darker shades of yellow, orange, orange-red, scarlet, dark red and salmon. Flower shapes and number of petals differ too, depending on the cultivars.
  In the tropics, it blooms sporadically year round but in frost-free regions, from early spring to early summer.
  Fruits are produced after flowering, taking almost a year to turn to a bright orange and ripen, and contain seeds that can be sowed.
  It contains small amounts of the poisonous alkaloid lycorine in its bulbous roots where ingestion of large quantities may cause symptoms of toxicity. Find out more at Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

• Culture (Care): Clivia miniata is an easy-to-culture plant that needs minimal attention yet rewards handsomely with catchy flower clusters.
  Light: Partial to full shade. Indoors, it needs bright light for healthy growth and flowering, and outdoors in dappled shade, preferably filtered morning sunlight. Strictly no direct sunlight which will scorch and yellow its foliage.
  Moisture: Average water needs. Water regularly during the growing season, allowing the top half of soil to dry out between deep watering. Do not overwater, it dislikes wet feet and soggy conditions that can cause rot. It dislikes high temperatures too but tolerates dry air, so misting is unnecessary.
  Soil: Prefers a humus or organic-enriched potting medium that must be well-drained and can provide good aeration which is essential for its best growth.
  Others: Plant with the crown just below soil surface level, never too deep. Feed once monthly with a liquid flowering houseplant fertilizer during active growth and flowering. Remove spent flowering stalks at the base, as well as withered or scorched leaves. Clivia miniata flowers best when potbound and dislike root disturbance that may temporarily stop flower production. So, repot only when necessary after flowering, probably every 6-10 years when it becomes overcrowded with the fleshy roots pushed way up above the potting mix. If flowering scape fails to elongate, with flowers blooming between basal leaves (as seen in one of the photos above), it’s probably due to improper rest period or potassium deficiency.
  Relatively free from serious pests and diseases, though watch out for mealy bug and scale.
  For subtropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 9-10, where it grows well outdoors in frost-free regions. It is frost-sensitive, so best to plant in containers that can be overwintered easily indoors for non-hardy regions. During its active growing season in early spring through fall, water regularly, feed monthly and maintain moderate temperatures. In winter, during its resting period, water sparingly, withhold feeding and keep it cool. Read about growing/cultivating C. miniata from gardeners at various USDA Zones at Dave’s Garden and from the Gay Gardener.

• Propagation: By seeds which will take up to 3 months to germinate and probably more than 3 years to flower. An easier alternative method of propagation is by division of clumps or by removing the suckers (offsets) when repotting, which is best done when plant is potbound.

• Usage: Clivia miniata make ideal groundcovers in garden beds and borders, located beneath shady trees or any shady site, giving interest, brightness and beauty to the landscape. Excellent ornamental houseplant in containers to decorate and brighten homes or indoors, window sills, patios and decks. Its long-lasting flowers which has a vase-life of about 2 weeks are ideal as cut flowers.
  In South Africa, Clivia miniata is known to be used for traditional medicine – the rhizomes or tuberous roots are used to relief fever and an infusion of its leaves to induce labour and speed contractions. Also, used as a snakebite remedy and to relieve pain. More at Royal College of Physicians and NCBI-PubMed.

Other external links:

• SA National Biodiversity Institute
• Clivia Society, on Clivia miniata and do explore the site for more insights.
• White Flower Farm
• Growing Clivia – FAQ

These Umbrella Plants are really beautiful and attractive as the involucral bracts are symmetrically arranged in an umbrella formation and held atop elegant stems that sway with the breeze, giving a tropical touch to the landscape!

We’re smittened by their beauty! Our fascination with this plant started as early as late 2003 and have since propagated them repeatedly, using plants from one single pot purchased then! Isn’t that marvelous – such a hardy and generous perennial that is so simple and easy to propagate, to grow and seemingly free for life!

Another great attraction is that it’s impossible to overwater as it enjoys damp and boggy conditions, so most ideal for beginners or even seasoned gardeners who enjoy water gardens!

This lovely and versatile plant can be easily grown, both in shallow water of small fish ponds and pools as an aquatic plant, or around them in the ground as a waterside/bog plant.

It’s ideal too as an accent plant or a background plant in gardens, grounded or in containers.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Cyperus involucratus [synonym: Cyperus alternifolius (misidentified), Cyperus alternifolius spp. flabelliformis, Cyperus flabelliformis]
• Common Name: Umbrella Plant, Umbrella Sedge, Umbrella Flatsedge, Umbrella Grass, Umbrella Papyrus, Dwarf Papyrus Grass, Galingale, Baby Tut
• Family name: Cyperaceae
• Origin: Native to Madagascar in Africa, but naturalized in other parts of the world through cultivation.
• Plant type: Perennial grass-like herbs, cultivated for its ornamental beauty.
• Features: Cyperus involucratus is one of the approximately 600 species of the genus Cyperus, a group of annual and perennial grass-like herbs widely spread throughout the world except for very cold regions.
  A herbaceous and evergreen tropical perennial, it is a vigorous-grower with a clump-forming habit, producing dense clusters of slender trigonous stems that emerges from a network of woody rhizomes and grow to varying heights of up to 1.8 m.
  The dark-green-coloured stems are without leaf blades apart from the inconspicuous brown leaf sheaths that wrap the bases.
  Their ornamental beauty lies above where each graceful and erect stem is tipped with a whorl of about 2 dozen dark-green, narrow and grass-like bracts with mildly-toothed margins, measuring up to 30 cm or more in length, 1.3 cm in width and spreading like spokes of an umbrella or wheel.
  Aptly named, the Umbrella Plant is truly elegant-looking and fascinating, excellent for any landscape or water gardens as it’s naturally happy in damp conditions.
  In summer, it bears about 15-25 stalked clusters of insignificant greenish flowers from a central spikelet that grows atop the green disk, and develop into brown fruits when matured.
  It can grow vigorously under good conditions, forming dense colonies which resulted it being identified as weedy or invasive in Australia and the United States. Nevertheless, it can be contained if planted in tubs or containers.

• Culture (Care): Cyperus involucratus, a hardy and robust bog plant that is so easy to grow, needing the least maintenance.
  Light: Grows best in bright light indoors or filtered sunlight outdoors, thriving well in moderate to warm conditions. It can tolerate some direct sunshine, light shade or even poor light for short periods, not too long though, as full sun may bleach its grass-like bracts and poor light may retard its growth and result in lesser stems.
  Moisture: It requires lots of water and you can never overwater it. It enjoys growing in shallow water but if grounded in soil or in containers, keep soil constantly moist and avoid drying of the soil which may result in the ‘umbrellas” turning yellow and wither or the browning of leaf tips and margins. Likewise too if air is dry, so increase humidity when necessary.
  Soil: Preferably loamy medium with water-holding capacity but can be adaptable to regular potting soil or a wide variety of soil types.
  Others: It enjoys very humid conditions. So mist the plants regularly or stand them in shallow trays of water to maintain its evergreen beauty. Feed once fortnightly with a general liquid houseplant fertilizer during active growth. On the whole, it needs very little care apart from discarding old stems that have turned yellow or repotting when the plants become pot-bound. Cyperus involucratus are generally free from pests, but do check occasionally for mealy bugs.
  For subtropical regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 8-11. A tender perennial that does not tolerate freeze. It’s known to die back to the ground in frosty regions (Zones 8 and 9) but do come back strong after a frost or freeze. Umbrella Plants/Sedges enjoys moderate to warm conditions and high humidity too, so increase humidity especially in hot summer or in artificially heated homes in winter. Propagate by clump division or seeds sown in spring or early autumn. Fertilize sparingly in winter, once or twice is more than sufficient.

• Propagation: By division of clumps or seeds sown in normal potting medium. It self-sows readily too. Can be propagated from tip cuttings of stems that are placed upside down into warm moist medium and watered regularly. Alternatively, bend down the tip end of a stem with the leaf bracts onto very moist soil, pin down and eventually a new plant will begin to grow within a few weeks.
  Another way of propagation is to imitate the plant’s aquatic habitat by following this simple method which I experimented with tip cuttings from our garden plants, specially for this post:
  1. Cut off the tip of a stem.
  2. Invert it with its head plunge into a bottle or jar of water. Site it in a sunny spot and roots will form at the center of the ‘umbrella’ and eventually a young plant will emerge and grow upward in less than a month’s time.
  3. Then, carefully detach it as the parent stem rots away, pot it and place in a bright place for the young plant to establish.

• Usage: An excellent ornamental waterside or marginal plant for water gardens. Indoors, Umbrella Plants are useful as a houseplant for homes and conservatory, or as interiorscape plant for commercial offices, hotels and malls, ideally in containers stood in water. Its fascinating shape makes it a great plant for landscapping, and as an accent plant or informal screen. As a backdrop plant, it combines well with other foliage plants or flowering plants in garden beds or borders for added interest and height. Can be used in fresh or dried floral arrangements.
  

Other External links:

• Floridata
• Dave’s Garden
• Sunny Gardens

Here is another unique and fascinating herbaceous perennial plant like the Adenium obesum (Desert Rose), that will develop an attractively swollen and knobby caudex as it ages.

A tropical beauty with bright orange-red inflorescence towering above its dark green foliage in lovely contrast.

We had grown this attractive-looking ornamental plant about 3.5 years ago, but no longer now.

Just an image in our photo archives to remind us of its brief one and a half year’s existence in our tropical garden, marvelous while it lasted.

Hmm…may consider growing it again??

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Jatropha podagrica
• Common Name: Gout Plant/Stick, Buddha Belly Plant, Bottleplant Shrub, Goutystalk, Nettlespurge, Purging Nut, Guatemala Rhubarb, Tartogo
• Family name: Euphorbiaceae
• Plant type: Tropical and tender herbaceous perennial
• Origin: Native to Central America, Guatemala to Panama. Naturalized worldwide in the tropics.
• Features: Jatropha podagrica is one of the approximately 175 species of succulent plants of the genus, Jatropha. A popular ornamental plant that typically grows between 0.5-1 meter in height, taller when ground-planted in garden than being potted.
  Exotic, yet weird looking in a captivating way, with a stout and knobby stem that develops from a swollen gout-like, bottle-like or belly-like base or caudex, hence attributing to a few of the plant’s common names. The trunk is greyish in colour with bristled scars.
  Foliage is medium to dark green, sometimes slightly two-toned, with large peltate leaves, up to 30 cm across. They are orbicular with 3-5 distinct and deep lobes, bluntly tipped and held on long petioles that fans out from the top tip of the succulent stem, forming a luxuriant green crown.
  As showy as the fabulous foliage are its clusters of small and brightly coloured orange-red flowers on short pedicels. The inflorescence is cymose and coral-like in manner, held terminally on a long and slender peduncle that emerges from terminal stem as with the leaf petioles. Jatropha podagrica flowers all year round in favourable environment, especially in the warmer months of the year.
  Roundish seed pods or fruits are set freely after flowering, start off a lovely fresh green and turn blackish brown when matured.
  When ripened, they burst open to scatter smooth and glossy brown seeds several meters away. Seeds will self-sow easily on suitable soil.
  Beware that all parts of Jatropha podagrica are poisonous, especially the seeds where one seed is sufficient to cause severe poisoning. Like all members of the Euphorbia family, when cut it exudes a white milky sap which may be a skin irritant to some people.

• Culture (Care): Jatropha podagrica or Buddha Belly Plant is a relatively fuss-free plant, easy to care for and flowers frequently year-round.
  Light: Best growth and blooming in full or filtered sun outdoors, and bright light indoors. Can tolerate light shade to partial shade. Leaves grow larger and are darker in colour, if planted in shady locations.
  Moisture: Moderate water regularly, especially during hot and dry seasons. Allow to dry out between waterings, overwatering can lead to root rot. Being a succulent, drought tolerance is high, but regular watering and sufficient sunshine will result in luxuriant foliage and frequent blooms.
  Soil: Grows best in fertile, well-drained sandy soil though tolerate any type of soils.
  Others: They are not heavy feeders. If necessary, feed once quarterly with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Be careful when handling the plant as it exude a milky latex when cut, that may cause skin irritation. Wear gloves if you’re prone to such sensitivity. Read somewhere that keeping its foliage pruned enlarges the trunk’s base. Also, if the swollen stem is slightly ‘injured’ or a section of its bark ‘scratched’, a new stalk will emerge at the spot. You may want to try that to keep the plant bushy. Relatively pest-free, though watch out for aphids and mealy bugs that may infest occasionally.
  For sub-tropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zones 10-11. Gout Plant can only tolerate minimal frost. In winter or cooler clime, where plant may be deciduous, reduce water and no feeding until spring. Learn more about Jatropha podagrica from the gardening community at Dave’s Garden.

• Propagation: Easily propagated from seeds. It self-sow easily too on soil. Its fruit or seedpod is highly dehiscent when ripened to blackish-brown in colour, exploding to scatter the seeds several meters away. Thus, best to bag the about-to-ripen seedpods with a plastic bag or a gauze cloth to capture and collect the seeds.

• Usage: Jatropha podagrica or Goutystalk, a lovely and exotic specimen plant is excellent for container planting, outdoors or indoors as a houseplant. Even suited as a bedding or border plant in the garden and can be planted en masse or in mixed plantings, in sunny or shady location. It’s a butterfly and hummingbird attractant too. Quite dwarfish in stature if potted, it becomes a natural bonsai plant with its unique and attractive gouty trunk base. Truly ornamental!
  Besides, it has medicinal uses too. The roots have shown antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity as mentioned at Wiley InterScience. In China, it’s used for reduction of swelling, pain relief and to detoxify snakebites, while in Ghana and Nigeria, it is used as an antipyretic, diuretic, choleretic and purgative. In Mexico and southwestern United States, it is used to tan leather and produce a red dye.
  Wonder whether this species, J. podagrica has potential source of biofuel, like the other species, J. curcas which is cultivated commercially in many regions worldwide for production of biofuels?

Other external links:
Aluka on Jatropha podagrica
UBC Botanical Garden Forums on Jatropha podogrica
Wikipedia on Jatropha
Jatropha HQ’s latest headlines on Jatropha curcas as biofuels

Update: March 16 2010
Late September last year, we chanced upon a couple of seedlings by the roadside, brought it home and had them pot-planted.

And, we were wonderfully surprised by the appearance of its first stalk of flowers early last month! Wow!

More pictures here, if you’re interested.

An outstanding perennial beauty with handsome foliage and spectacular flowers!

Indeed, a garden jewel that will be excellent for tropical and subtropical gardens, parks and landscapes!

Even without flowers, the glossy dark-green foliage of the Caribbean Spiderlily continues to be a great attraction.

Nevertheless, the blossoming of its gorgeous and spider-like white flowers is another impressive spectacle altogether, something not to be missed if opportunity presents itself!

Catch them flowering in the evenings and get to enjoy its explicit beauty with intoxicating fragrance at its best from dusk to dawn.

We got to experience this wondrous event recently when one of our 8-month old bulbs flowered for the first time.

Read about it and enjoy a few additional photos here.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Hymenocallis caribaea (synonym: Pancratium caribaeum/declinatum, Hymenocallis declinata)
• Common Name: Caribbean Spiderlily, Spider Lily, White Lily
• Family name: Amaryllidaceae (previously named under Liliaceae)
• Plant type: Flowering bulbous perennial herb, native to the Caribbean/West Indies
• Features: Hymenocallis caribaea is one of the well-known species of the New World genus Hymenocallis which together with 2 other closely related genera Ismene and Leptochiton form the tribe Hymenocallideae. However, only members of the genus Hymenocallis are true spider lilies.
  Being a tropical and subtropical species in the Caribaea alliance or the Tropical Hymenocallis category, this bulbous perennial herb, H. caribaea, is evergreen and needs no dormancy period.
  It is vigorous-growing, producing spectacular foliage, flowers abundantly and offsets prolifically, making it the most widely grown of this group.
  Its sword-shaped mucronate leaves with slightly depressed midrib are 40-70 cm long and up to 6 cm wide at its broadest, smooth-textured and glossy, erect and somewhat recurved at the top end. The sessile leaves are dark green and distichously arranged in a beautiful fanlike appearance. There is another form, H. caribaea ‘Variegata’ with lovely variegated leaves in greyish green and widely edged creamy white.
  
  An umbel of 10-12 or more pure white flowers are borne at the tip of an erect flowering scape about 60-75 cm tall, towering above its luxurious foliage. Magnificent and stunning! The flower head is huge, up to 32 cm or more in diameter.
  The spider-like flowers will spring open in the evenings and emit a marvelous intoxicating fragrance that is strong till dawn and gradually decreases during the day. Though the delicate flowers are short-lived, lasting for 2-3 days, the whole blossoming process is dragged longer to about 10 days as one or two flowers are spent, another one or more buds (21-24 cm long) will unfurl.
  Each flower held on a 10-12 cm long greenish pedicel has six elongated tepals or segments (13 x 0.8 cm) in white and beautifully arched in a single plane. Arising from within the throat of the pedicel is the characteristic funnel-shaped corona (5 cm across) that connects the basal part of the stamens, hence the name Hymenocallis which literally means ‘beautiful membrane’ in Greek. Each unconnected part of the six erect stamen stalks is greenish in color, up to 6 cm long and topped with a 2 cm linear anther that is fabulously covered with bright orange pollen. Towering above the stamens is the greenish style, about 11-12 cm, appearing from the throat of the staminal cup.
  H. caribaea does not set seeds or normally does not do so?
  It is quite similar to the cultivar, Hymenocallis ‘Tropical Giant’, which is the most cultivated hymenocallis around the globe, especially seen in botanical gardens. The latter has larger leaves and flowers, with the 6 tepals recurved in two planes, that is, 3 alternating segments out of 6 are more recurved than the others.

• Culture (Care): Hymenocallis caribaea is an easy-care bulbous plant, needing minimal maintenance.
  Light: Best in full sun (not scorching sunlight though), but tolerate light shade.
  Moisture: Lots of water regularly. Do not allow to dry between waterings. It likes humid conditions.
  Soil: Prefers fertile, moist and well-drained soil, though tolerant of other soil types.
  Others: Feed monthly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. No pruning is required, just snip off yellow or withered leaves and spent flowers to maintain tidiness. No serious insect or disease problems though occasionally bothered by snails, caterpillars and mealybugs.
  For subtropical regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 10-11. Provide moist and humid conditions during hot weather but less in cooler climate.

• Propagation: By removing the offsets that form on mature bulbs and grow them separately to get new plants.

• Usage: Spectacular herbaceous flowering plant that is suitable in large containers or raised planters, located outdoors in the garden or porch. Excellent too, when grown in the ground en masse in beds and borders to add interest or as groundcovers. Wonderful specimen when grouped for landscaping at parks, public places and along roads and highways.

Other information on Hymenocallis and its species:
Three closely related genera Ismene, Elisena and Leptochiton were previously classified under Hymenocallis but has been reclassified since 1812. Ismene, Elisena and Pseudostenomesson are now considered subgenera of Ismene that is recognized as a distinct genus, as with Leptochiton. Hymenocallis Hybrids include hybrib plants that are part of the Hymenocallis complex, comprising the 4 genera Hymenocallis, Ismene, Elisena and Leptochiton.

The approximately 70-80 species of Hymenocallis are widely found in the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean/West Indies and northern South America. They are so diverse in habitats due to the vast distribution and the physical appearance or attributes of the bulbs, foliage and inflorescences can be so similar as to lead to much confusion. Learn more from the links listed below, most of which have presented pictures to illustrate the differences too.

External links:
Pacific Bulb Society
International Bulb Society
PDF on Hymenocallis, by Alberto Grossi
Bulbs for Warm Climates by Thad Monroe
Shieldsgardens.com
USDA Plants

Though we don’t quite fancy annuals, Marigold like Butter Daisy and Globe Amaranth are the few exceptions that we favor to adorn our tropical garden every once in a while with bright intense colors. Colorful, stunning and inexpensive too!

In the tropics, Marigold is a year-round bloomer with large pompon-like flowers, usually seen in sunny and cheerful colors of yellow and gold to orange.

An old favorite bedding plant in gardens and parks, it has retained its popularity even till today, bringing sunshine and smiles with its reliability and constant flowering.

Marigolds are also popularly grown in containers as ornamental plants to decorate halls for social and religious functions and ceremonies.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula
• Common Name: Marigold (for both species), African/American/Aztec Marigold or Tall Marigold (for T. erecta), and French Marigold (for T. patula)
• Family name: Asteraceae (also named in the Compositae family)
• Plant type: Herbaceous ornamental annual plant, though native to Mexico and Central America, it has been naturalized in many other warmer regions worldwide. (The first marigolds introduced into Europe and India in the 16th century came from Northern Africa, hence the common name African Marigold)
• Features: Tagetes erecta and Tagetes patula are species of the genus Tagetes. Commonly known as Marigolds, they are rapid-growing annual flowering plants with heights ranging from dwarfs of 6-8 in, to medium and taller ones that grow from 9 in to 3 ft tall or more.
  Herbaceous, upright and branching, they bear medium to dark green leaves that are fern-like with narrow toothed segments. Leaves of most cultivars and varieties are strongly scented and rather unpleasantly too.
  Above this lovely greenery are displayed stunning and attractive flowers that come in various sizes, forms and colors due to hundreds of varieties and cultivars developed over the last few centuries. Bloom sizes range from 2-5 inches across, may be single, double or crested and come in marvelous hues and intensity of yellow, gold, orange, red, maroon, mahogany, white and bicolors too. They bloom non-stop through the growing season, hence perfect for any garden spot with splashes of bright colors.
  
  These two major Marigold species are defined as follows:
  1) Tagetes ereta (African Marigold, also known as American Marigold) – taller and erect-growing plants with height from 10 in to 3 ft, bearing large pompon-like double flowers up to 5 in across and has a shorter flowering period from midsummer to frost;
  2) Tagetes patula (French Marigold) – small and bushy plants with height from 6-18 in, bearing single or double flowers up to 2 in across and has a longer flowering period from spring until frost.
  Also, there is the Triploid or Mule Marigold which is the sterile hybrid and a cross between the tall African and dwarf French Marigolds, resembling the French Marigolds but have larger flowers.
  
  Another species, less known is Tagetes tenuifolia/signata (Signet Marigold) which is a compact plant with finer leaves and smaller, single flowers that are edible and colored yellow, orange or rust-red, best suited for window boxes and as an edging.
  
  The name Marigold also refers to Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) of the genus Calendula, which is not a true marigold of the genus Tagetes.

• Culture (Care): Marigolds are hardy and non-fussy annuals, easy to grow and rewards generously with non-stop flowering.
  Light: Full sun and heat. Thrives best in hot climates.
  Moisture: Water regularly, especially during hot and dry seasons.
  Soil: Prefers organic-enriched, moist and well-drained soil. Nevertheless, it is adaptable to any soil type.
  Others: Snip off the first flowers before they open to induce more flowering. Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers and prolong the blooming period. Potash fertilizer can be added occasionally to prolong the flowering period too. Fertilize sparingly as an excess may encourage luxuriant foliage at the expense of flowers. The taller and large-flowered Marigolds may need some staking. Relatively pest free but do check for slugs and snails, and watch out for powdery mildew, whiteflies and spider mites.
  For subtropical regions: Hardiness: USDA Zones 9-11. These are tender tropical plants that are killed by frost, but can be grown as annuals anywhere.

• Propagation: Easily propagated from seeds (black and needle-like) sown directly into the garden ground or started early indoors and transplanted outdoors when there’s no danger of frost. Germination usually takes 5-7 days at 65-75 degrees F.

• Usage: Marigolds are excellent for borders or beds, edging, in mass or mixed plantings and landscaping. The taller marigolds can be trained as a standard specimen. Marigolds are very ideal for container gardening, with pots at porches, decks or windowsills and even as decoration at social and religious events and ceremonies. An added bonus is their attraction to bees, butterflies and birds. It is said to be a natural insect repellent against certain garden pests but some have disprove this myth (?).
  Tagetes erecta and Tagetes patula are good as cut or dried flowers. In South Asia, the colorfully bright yellow, orange and red flowers are used by the thousands as garlands and to decorate religious icons and buildings. Hence, they are cultivated commercially as flower crops (floriculture) and cash crops in India and Pakistan.
  They contain lutein, a carotenoid pigment that can be extracted and used as a natural food colorant for livestock and pet food.
  T. erecta is used as a South Asian traditional medicine, where the leaves and flowers are well-known for blood purification, reduce blood flow and inflammation. And, it is claimed that these African and French Marigolds contain certain other beneficial compounds and essentail oils for cosmetic, health and medicinal uses. More at Plant Cultures and Plants For A Future.

Other External links:

• Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
• SunnyGardens
• Plant Cultures
• The Flower Expert
• Floridata

More photos of Tagetes erecta / patula, grown in our garden:

Tagetes erecta ‘Antigua Yellow’

Tagetes erecta ‘Antigua Yellow’

Tagetes patula ‘Safari Tangerine’

Tagetes patula ‘Safari Tangerine’

This lovely lime-green foliage plant is another of our potted garden babies. It goes by the cultivar name, ‘Bichetii’ or ‘Variegatum’ and is the commonest variegated form of Chlorophytum laxum in cultivation.

Popularly grown in home gardens, this petite herb plant is quite similar to Chlorophytum comosum, another species in the genus, Chlorophytum. Though not as attractive without the long arching stalks of ‘baby spiders’ or plantlets which is so characteristic of the real Spider Plants, it is sometimes known too as Variegated Spider Plant or Dwarf Spider Plant. Is it a mistake, I wonder?

Nevertheless, it does look pretty when planted in hanging pots amongst a crowd of other variegated spider plants, adding variety as seen in the right image of our garden porch.

An easy-growing plant that multiplies readily from its tuberous roots, providing extra plants that can be given as gifts to friends and neighbours. Isn’t that great?

Be aware that it is a non-acquatic plant that will rot quite quickly if submerged in an aquarium and likewise if emersed. So, don’t be fooled by the aquarium plant suppliers!

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Chlorophytum laxum ‘Bichetii’ (syn.: Anthericum parviflorum, Chlorophytum parviflorum, Phalangium parviflorum/laxum)
• Common Name: Bichetii Grass, False Lily Turf, Wheat Plant, Siam Lily, St Bernard Lily, Loose Leaf Chlorophytum, Variegated/Dwarf Spider Plant
• Family name: Liliaceae (also named under Anthericaceae)
• Plant type: An evergreen herbaceous perennial, native to South Africa but widespread elsewhere in tropical Africa, India, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Northern Australia.
• Features: Chlorophytum laxum is one of more than 200 species of the genus Chlorophytum, mostly cultivated in India for its edible leaves and roots that are used as traditional medicine. Its foliage is solid green without variegation, unlike its variegated cultivar ‘Bichetii’ or ‘Variegatum’ which is popularly grown for its ornamental beauty.
  C. laxum ‘Bichetii’ is an evergreen clump-forming variegated species that is moderately fast-growing and petite in stature, about 30cm tall with a spread of 60 cm or more on ground but less if contained in pots. Exhibiting tufts of lovely lime-green grass-like recurving leaves with thin ivory-white margins. Leaves are slender and elongated with tapering tips, paper-thin, smooth and shiny, distichous and sessile, ranging between 10-40 cm in length and up to 1.5 cm broad.
  It bears tiny inconspicuous star-shaped 6-petaled flowers in white on a 10-20 cm non-arching scape (flowering stalk) that is almost erect. It does not produce ‘baby spiders’ or plantlets on the wiry scape but does set seeds though rarely.
  It has a short rhizome which produces fleshy tuberous roots as a cluster of whitish bulblets from which new plants emerge.

• Culture (Care): Bichetii Grass or Wheat Plant is one of the easiest plant to grow, requiring minimal care and self-propagate so readily to reward you endlessly.
  Light: Medium light, partial shade or filtered sunlight will be best. Avoid strong sunlight as its delicate leaves are easily dehydrated and get shriveled up in the heat, loosing its shine and color tarnished.
  Moisture: Does well with regular watering and allow soil to dry slightly between waterings. Needs humidity and fresh air too to do well.
  Soil: Well-drained sandy to loamy soil though adaptable to any kind of garden or potting medium.
  Others: Feed every 2 weeks or once monthly with a balanced fertilizer for foliage plants at half strength. Pull out withered or discolored leaves to maintain tidiness. Be aware that too little water, too low humidity, too much salts and excess fluorides in the water can cause leaf tips to turn brown. Mist leaves occasionally to provide humidity, if necessary. Preferably water them with rain water or aquarium water. It is susceptible to root rot if waterlogged, otherwise least bothered by pests and diseases.
  For temperate regions: USDA Zone 9-11. More information at Dave’s Garden.

• Propagation: Easily propagated by dividing the plants which include the rhizomes and tuberous roots at the crown. Best to do it when repotting in spring. Remove all the dried and yellow leaves first. Next, dig it out of the pot and divide the clump of plants at the crown by cutting right through into the soil with a garden spade. Shake off excess soil from each division and then pot them individually in a pot of growing medium. Water the repotted divisions thoroughly and locate them in a warm, semi-shaded position. With proper care, these resilient plants should flourish easily.
  Wheat Plant can also be propagated from seeds, though they are rarely available.

• Usage: C. laxum ‘Bichetii’ make excellent container plants, be it as a houseplant or outdoor in the garden, deck, patio or porch. It is perfectly showy in hanging baskets or planter boxes with a mixed crowd of foliage plants. Ideal too as a groundcover in garden beds or borders. Being petite and easy-growing, it can be grown well in terrariums and as a marsh plant, in vivaria.
  In India, the leaves of Chlorophytum laxum are eaten (listed as famine food) while the roots are used as traditional medicine to treat diarrhoea and dysentery and also used as demulcent and galactogogue as mentioned at Bioline International.

Other External Links:
efloras.org
Jearrard’s Chlorophytum Page
Glasshouse Works’ Chlorophytum images
WetWebMedia on non-aquatic plants

Note: there’s a lot of contradictory info in the internet regarding this pretty plant. Some have named it as Chlorophytum laxum ‘Bichetii’ or ‘Variegatum’ and others, Chlorophytum bichetii or Chlorophytum bichetii ‘Siam Lily’. It’s so confusing! Nonetheless, for this article, we chose to temporarily identify our plant with the first mentioned name until proven wrong and we’re not responsible for the accuracy of information herein.

Absolutely a beautiful and extraordinary ornamental shrub to add interest and contrast to any garden. And, in the darkness of the night, its stunning white pagoda-shaped flower clusters will sparkle and light up the garden! How lovely!

Growing in our garden is the fabulous white variety, Orthosiphon stamineus ‘White’. We love that it grows easily and fast, though a little too hastily, wild and free! Wonderful that it is fuss-free and blooms readily not only when groomed with frequent haircuts but almost year round in our tropical warm climate.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Orthosiphon aristatus (synonym: Ocimum aristatum, Orthosiphon stamineus Benth)
• Common Name: Cat’s Whiskers, Java Tea, Misai/Kumis Kuching (in Malay language)
• Family name: Lamiaceae
• Plant type: Tropical herbaceous perennial, native to China, Taiwan, South East Asia and tropical Australia.
• Features: Orthosiphon aristatus is a fast-growing herbaceous shrub that can reach 1-2 meters tall and spread to a meter wide. It is erect and highly branched with a tendency to touch ground and root easily. Semi-deciduous foliage is medium green in color and borne in opposite pairs on a reddish-brown quadrangle stem that is slightly puberulent. Glossy leaves are glabrous to puberulent on both surfaces and lanceolate-shaped with coarsely serrated margins. It produces racemes that are 10-20 cm long with pretty tubular flowers that are uniquely shaped and bear 5-6 cm long stamens that look like cat’s whiskers, hence the common name. These beautiful pagoda-shaped flower clusters can be white/almost white, or mauve to lavender or light violet/purple.

• Culture (Care): Cat’s Whiskers is easily grown with minimal maintenance.
  Light: Full sun to part sun or partial shade. Grows best in sunny location. It can tolerate shade but tends to grow skyward with less flowering.
  Moisture: Medium to high water requirements though less once established.
  Soil: Adaptable to various soil conditions, but preferably compost-enriched potting mix, that is consistently moist but well-drained.
  Others: It takes well to heavy pruning, so prune regularly to maintain a bushy appearance and to encourage prolific flowering. Deadhead spent blooms. Feed with a liquid fertilizer monthly. No serious pest or diseases. However, do check for whiteflies, mealy bugs or scales that can infest it.
  For temperate zones: Hardiness: USDA Zone 9a-11. Read more at Dave’sGarden. Though considered a tender perennial or annual, it bounces back strongly after a good freeze!

• Propagation: From seeds though best propagated from softwood cuttings that root easily in water or ground. Best done when deadheading spent blooms or pruning. Just take 5-6 -inch stem cuttings and cut off their lower leaves, then poke them into moist soil, water regularly and in a short time you will see new leaf growth. Also, branches that touch the ground root easily, so you can snip them, remove and propagate elsewhere.

• Usage: Orthosiphon aristatus will be excellent for perennial borders or informal hedges as it tolerates hard pruning. Well suited for containers or planters. Grow as an attractive ornamental garden specimen to attract bees, butterflies and humming birds.
  It is also popularly used as a traditional herb, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia to treat diabetes, kidney stones and urinary disorders, high blood pressure, rheumatism and gout. Dried leaves can be brewed as a herbal tea or a tasty drink with honey or milk. There are products of O. aristatus (Misai Kuching) extracts sold commercially for these medicinal purposes. More at wikipedia and misaikuching.com.

A fascinating bluish-purple variety of Agapanthus joined our garden family in early January this year. Just found out that this beauty loves to be pot bound. Aargh…we’re already planted it into a large terracotta pot, too late now to be repotting to a smaller size, I think! Hope it stays happy!

It had a lovely 66 cm (26 ins) tall budding spike then, that blossomed into a large 20-cm (8-in) globular flower head with fabulous blue and purple hues.

When lighted by the sun, the trumpet-shaped flowers seemed purplish to lilac, yet wonderfully blue-hued in the filtered shade.

And, even more remarkable was an abnormal fusion of two buds to form a single whole flower with 11 petals altogether instead of the usual 6-petaled flower, and bearing double the usual number of stamens.

How interesting to see this unique fasciation for the first time ever! Nature is absolutely awesome with its magnificent designs!

Click on the left image for an enlarged view to observe the phenomenal beauty, if you’re interested!

Surprisingly, just three months later in early April, this same potted Agapanthus plant decided to smile again with a second flowering stem.

This time it was about 38 cm (15 ins) tall, much shorter but with flowers as strikingly beautiful! How delightful!

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation of Agapanthus :

• Botanical Name: Agapanthus (The genus name agapanthus means flower of love which is derived from the Greek word ‘agape’, meaning love, and ‘anthos’, meaning flower)
• Common Name: Agapanthus, African Lily, African Blue Lily, Blue Lily, Lily of the Nile, Flower of Love
• Family name: Agapanthaceae (previously included under Alliaceae, Liliaceae and Amaryllidaceae)
• Plant type: Herbaceous perennial plant that is native to South Africa, spreading from the Western to the Eastern Cape.
• Light: Full sun to semi-shade, though grows and flowers best in full sun.
• Moisture: Requires medium water regularly during the growing season, but less once established. Though tolerant of drought and poor soil, it performs better if watered and fed.
• Soil:Well-drained and moderately fertile soil.
• Propagation: Propagation by seeds or division of offsets or rhizomes. Plants sown from fertile seeds that will germinate within 4-8 weeks is a slow process with flowering probably in their third to fourth year whereas by division may bloom after the first year or so. Best to allow Agapanthus to be root-bound before dividing the rhizomes (after flowering or early spring) with a sharp knife, being careful that each division has some roots. Then, plant them about 2.5 cm (1 in) deep in individual pots or 45-60 cm (18-24 ins) apart on the ground.
• Features: Agapanthus, a genus of evergreen or deciduous flowering perennial plants, has 6 species, which consist of many more hybrids or cultivars. Though a very variable genus, Agapanthus species are broadly similar in appearance.
  
  The plants produce dense tufts of rich to deep green or greyish-green, leathery, and strap-like leaves with blunt or pointed tips, varying in length and width that range from 20-80 cm (8-31 ins) long and 2-5 cm (0.75-2 ins) wide. These basal leaves that can be arching or sub-erect and distichously arranged, grow on very short stems that arise from thickened and fleshy rhizomatous roots.
  
  It produces erect stems (scapes) that can reach 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) tall, towering over the attractive foliage and bearing showy umbels of tubular or bell-shaped flowers, in varying shades of blue to purple or white. Globular or pendulous flower heads can be small or as large as 20 cm (8 ins) or more, blooming over a long season in the tropics or from late spring to early autumn in frost-free climates, depending on the species. Flowers will eventually develop into seedpods containing winged black seeds.
  Out of the 6 Agapanthus species, 2 species, namely A. africanus and A. praecox are evergreen, while the remaining 4 species are deciduous, that is A. campanulatus, A. caulescens, A. coddii and A. inapertus, an attractive drooping species.
• Usage: Agapanthus are popularly grown in garden borders, beds and parks, or raised planters along sidewalks and road dividers, especially the larger species and cultivars. They’ll make excellent container plants for porch or patio due to their compact upright shape and fabulous foliage that are attractive even when not blossoming. The dwarf hybrids will be most ideal for front of the borders, rockeries and pots.
  If you’re a nature lover, try planting African Lilies en masse in your garden to attract bees and butterflies. Here is an image of the buff-brown skipper butterfly, Suastus gremius gremius (Indian Palm Bob) that was a frequent visitor to our Agapanthus praecox!
  Agapanthus will make excellent cutflowers for vases, floral arrangements and even for bouquets.
  Agapanthus are known to contain medicinal properties and thus used culturally and medicinally to treat cardiac complaints and other ailments related with fertility, pregnancy and pulmonary illnesses, etc. Read more at Plantzafrica.com, subtitled ‘Cultural uses’, as well as explore the fabulous images and other excellent information contained therein.
• Care: Agapanthus species are easily grown, needing little care as they are hardy plants. Locate them at sunny and warm sites for best growth and flowering. Well-drained soil is essential to prevent yellow leaves which is an indication of water-logged conditions. Water moderately and feed it fortnightly or so with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season. Try not to use overly large containers as they love to be pot bound. Dig up, divide and replant clumps every 4 years or so to rejuvenate and encourage flowering. Remove spent flowers to conserve energy and induce further flowering. Keep them neat by removing old foliage as well. It is least bothered by pests and diseases.
• For temperate zones: Hardiness – USDA Zone 7 to 11. More information at Botany.com.
• Other interesting fact: Agapanthus is considered a weed of Blue Mountains Bushland. Explore here to be enriched further!
• Agapanthus images: View more pics at Broadleigh Gardens.

After a laborious search on the internet, I’m convinced that our Agapanthus species is Agapanthus praecox, an evergreen one. All photos contained herein were captured from the same plant and yet their flower colors seemed to change magically in the sunlight and shade, darting from light to medium blue, to lilac with purple streaks and almost white at times! Hmm…alhough fascinating to admire, it’s impossible for me to nail the hybrid or cultivar of this beauty! Any takers in IDing?

Update: July 20, 2009
On our recent vacation to Cameron Highlands, we came across unripened seedpods of Agapanthus and captured a couple of shots to share them here. Fascinating to see a flowering spike filled with seedpods instead, a first time for us!

Last edited: August 5, 2009

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb., Pandanus odorus
• Common Name: Fragrant Pandan, Fragrant Screwpine, Pandan Leaf/Leaves, Daun Pandan (Malaysia/Indonesia), Bai Toey (Thailand)
• Family name: Pandanaceae
• Plant type: Indoor and outdoor foliage or shrub; Fragrant herb plant
• Light: Prefers semi-shade to full sun, though protection from the strong afternoon sun is advisable.
• Moisture: Needing lots of water and humid environment for best growth
• Soil: Grows well in any kind of soil in container or ground
• Propagation: Propagate by replanting suckers that are formed at base or plantlets with aerial roots that grow at top of plant as seen in image.
  
  However, grounded suckers are more reliable than aerial plantlets that may fail to propagate if left to mature with hardened aerial roots.
  
  Separate the suckers or plantlets with their roots from the main plant, remove most of the leaves leaving a few at top and plant them into moist soil. Water regularly and it’ll add new leaves in no time!
• Features: Pandanus amaryllifolius grows between 1 to 2 metres tall with its main stem supported by aerial roots, as seen in image above. Foliage are evergreen with slender leaves that are lush-green and smooth-edged measuring roughly 30-50cm long. Their leaves have a depressed center running from the axis outwards and gradually flatten towards their tips, as viewed in both pictures above.
• Usage: These fragrant pandan leaves with a subtle grassy-nutty flavor are well sought after for their culinary usages, especially in the Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Sri Lanka, as well as Australia. Read here at StuartXchange to know more of the uses of Fragrant Screw Pine and try some tempting pandan recipes to whet your appetitie!
  The leaves of P. amaryllifolius are also popularly used as a cockroach repellent. More here.

Pandanus amaryllifolius is one of those long-domesticated plants and is the only Pandanus species with fragrant leaves. Our backyard garden is never without this essential plant! Like the Murraya Koenigii commonly known as Curry Leaf/Leaves, its fragrant pandan leaves are very much needed in our Malaysian cooking and I can’t do without it!

Updated 2008-03-02 – Sharing here is an image of some luxuriant plants of Pandan Leaf or Fragrant Screwpine that are growing in our neighbour’s backyard on the ground. I’ve observed that grounded plants are lusher and produce more suckers, unlike potted plants that are restricted for want of space.

By the way, if you would like to know how this photo frame was done, click here.

Updated 2008-05-09 -
Further notes on Pandan Leaf’s propagation -
These young suckers as seen in the right picture were yanked from my sister-in-law’s dense clump of Pandan Leaves about a month ago. Though only one plant was needed, I potted them together for convenience sake, just in case only one manage to survive. Hmm…not surprising, both thrived and new leaves have emerged.

How to propagate – just separate one of the suckers with its roots from the parent plant (either pull with a slight force or use a garden spade). Next, cut away most of the basal leaves and maintain only a few remaining top ones (depending on the size of the plantlet, remove about half the foliage). Then, plant it into moist potting soil with its crown at the same level as it was previously grown. You can even soak the roots about 2 days before planting in the ground or container. Best to first locate it in a shaded or sun-filtered spot. Water moderately.

Last edited: 2008-06-22