How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant | Growing Fragrant Screw Pine

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Last Updated: 19.10.2023

Fragrant Screw Pine is quite popular for its fragrant flowers and can be a great addition to your garden! Here’s all you need to know about How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant!

How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant
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Kewra flower plant is popular for its intensely fragrant blooms and uses in a variety of dishes, which makes it a popular name in Indian households. The best part is, you can also grow it easily! Let’s have a look at How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant in India.

Botanical Name: Pandanus odorifer

Other Names: Kewda, Fragrant screwpine, Umbrella tree, and Screw tree

Know about Popular Flower Names in Sanskrit Here


What is Kewra Flower?

This flowering shrub is native to India, Myanmar, and Andaman. Its rose-like blooms have sweet and fruity fragrances, which makes them quite popular in the perfume and essential oil industries. The flower also has uses in watery distillate called kewra water.


How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant

Sunlight

Ketaki requires at least 4-5 hours of dappled to direct sunlight per day. Thus, locate it at any sunniest corner of your garden or lawn. But, protect this plant from scorching sunlight in summers, in order to prevent leave burn.

Soil

This plant responds well to well-draining, aerated, and fertile soil. Thus, use any sandy to loamy soil from your garden, but consider amending it well with plenty of organic matter like compost, or aged cow dung manure.

Watering

As a thumb rule, water the plant deeply and thoroughly, whenever the topsoil feels dry to touch. Make sure that the soil never goes completely dry, especially in the growing season. However, once this plant becomes mature, it can tolerate some drought.

Temperature and Humidity

In the Indian tropical climate, it works well at the average room temperature. But, make sure it does not fall below 10 C. Also, save the plant from cold drafts during winters. In summers, it needs additional humidity that you can provide with a pebble tray, humidifier, or periodic misting.


Kewra Flower Plant Care

Fertilizer

To boost the kewra plant growth, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, which is diluted to half of its strength, once a month. But, cease feeding in winters, as this plant is in a resting period.

Pests and Diseases

You should keep a check on mealybugs, aphids, and mites infestation. Treat them with a strong jet of water using a garden hose. Alternatively, organic neem oil or soap solution is also effective in deterring these pests’ problems. Apply it once every 2-3 weeks until the infection disappears.


Significance of Kewra

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  • Kewra blooms are popular for food flavoring in many cuisines.
  • In Ayurveda, it is popular for treating ailments like diabetes, fever, joint pain, and earache.
  • Male flowers have uses in perfume, essential oils, and fragrant distillation(otto) manufacturing.
  • Its essential oil is famous in aromatherapy.
  • Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, kewra blossoms can treat dry skin, eczema, acne, and itching.
  • In ayurvedic medicines, the roots of ketaki are prescribed to women for treating reproductive problems.

2 thoughts on “How to Grow Kewra Flower Plant | Growing Fragrant Screw Pine”

  1. Dear India gardening
    thanks for this post.
    However, how/where can one source a plant?
    Is this really growable in a home garden? Will it invite snakes?

    Thanks

    Reply

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