Pandanus tectorius
A drought- and salt-tolerant coastal tree with prop roots, long spiny blade-like leaves, and pineapple-like edible fruit, dioecious in reproduction, valued for weaving leaves and thatch, edible fruit, and coastal protection, with cultural and economic importance across Pacific islands.
Common Names
Hala, Screw Pine, Screwpine, Pandanus, Pandan, Pu Hala, Lauhala, Thatch Screw Pine
Summary
Screw pine is native to Hawaiʻi and widespread across the Pacific, growing as a stout, often multi-branched tree or tall shrub with a spreading canopy and prominent prop roots; leaves are long (1–3 m) with spiny margins and spiral arrangement at branch tips, forming rosettes, and the plant is dioecious with fragrant male inflorescences and pineapple‑like female inflorescences that bear large segmented fruits containing 40–80 drupes and edible pulp in yellow to orange to red hues, all set off by spirally arranged, stiff bluish‑green leaves and aerial roots.
In cultivation, it grows in full sun along coastal locations with well‑drained soils and tolerates salt spray, wind, and drought; propagation occurs by seed or cuttings, and main uses include coastal protection, windbreaks, and home gardens; leaves are used for weaving and thatching, aerial roots for cordage, and male flowers for perfumery, with edible fruits and common landscape roles as a specimen, screen, shade, container, or accent plant, and hardiness in USDA zones 10–12.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
13–46 ft
Spread
15-35 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10a-12b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates 30–50% shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained sandy soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
6–10 (slightly acidic to basic)
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
No fixed season; varies by location; blooms year-round or sporadically
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
2–80 cm per year
Seasons of Interest
No fixed season; flowering/fruiting varies by locale (Fiji Mar–May; Northern Australia Apr–Aug; Micronesia Dec–Mar and Jul–Sep).
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Root suckers
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Parkinson ex Du Roi
- Publication
- Naturforscher (Halle) 4: 250 (1774)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Pandanales
- Family
- Pandanaceae
- Genus
- Pandanus
Synonyms
Pandanus tectorius f. convexus Pandanus tectorius var. drolletianus Pandanus tectorius var. incrassatus Pandanus pedunculatus var. rendovensis Pandanus tectorius var. tubuaiensis Pandanus pedunculatus var. insularis Pandanus pedunculatus var. malagunensis Pandanus schizocarpus Pandanus samak Pandanus sabotan Pandanus sanderi Pandanus saipanensis Pandanus spurius Pandanus smithii Pandanus sinuvadosus Pandanus pulposus Pandanus ponapensis Pandanus prismaticus Pandanus pseudomenne Pandanus rhizophorensis Pandanus rhombocarpus Pandanus rotundatus Pandanus rockii Pandanus raivavaensis Pandanus rectangulatus Pandanus volkensii Pandanus viridinsularis Pandanus utiyamai Pandanus variegatus Pandanus yorkensis Pandanus moschatus Pandanus tahitensis Pandanus tauensis Pandanus terrireginae Pandanus stradbrookeensis Pandanus subhumerosus Pandanus suvaensis Pandanus subradiatus Pandanus houmaensis Pandanus tessellatus Pandanus tuamotensis Pandanus tolotomensis Pandanus tomilensis Pandanus trukensis Pandanus oblaticonvexus Pandanus tongaensis Pandanus palmyraensis Pandanus aequor Pandanus glomerosus Pandanus cacuminatus Pandanus savaiiensis Pandanus jonesii Pandanus minysocephalus Pandanus taepa Pandanus fatuhivaensis Pandanus hivaoaensis Pandanus anisos Pandanus flintinsularis Pandanus futunaensis Pandanus horneinsularum Pandanus filiciatilis Pandanus tima Pandanus cymatilis Pandanus dotyi Pandanus elevatus Pandanus prolixus Pandanus raroiaensis Pandanus asauensis Pandanus tikeiensis Pandanus timoeensis Pandanus trapaneus Pandanus vahitahiensis Pandanus bathys Pandanus christophersenii Pandanus edwinii Pandanus takaroaensis Pandanus tectorius var. cocosensis Pandanus akiakiensis Pandanus tectorius var. yorkensis Pandanus tectorius var. levigatus Pandanus tectorius var. oahuensis Pandanus tectorius var. heronensis Pandanus crassus Pandanus ater Pandanus intralaevis Pandanus uea Pandanus mooreaensis Pandanus orarius Pandanus otemanuensis Pandanus pachys Pandanus raiateaensis Pandanus tahaaensis Pandanus metius Pandanus meetiaensis Pandanus aitutakiensis Pandanus evexus Pandanus interior Pandanus latior Pandanus pakari Pandanus rikiteaensis Pandanus sykesii Pandanus tapeinos Pandanus complanatus Pandanus tritosphaericus Pandanus montaguei Pandanus boraboraensis Pandanus absonus Pandanus divaricatus Pandanus faramaa Pandanus grantii Pandanus hendersonensis Pandanus yunckeri Pandanus humericus Pandanus wilderi Pandanus notialis Pandanus bassus Pandanus inflexus Pandanus laculatus Pandanus licinus Pandanus paogo Pandanus motuensis Pandanus niueensis Pandanus planus Pandanus pusillus Pandanus radiatus Pandanus rimataraensis Pandanus virginalis Pandanus taravaiensis Pandanus gambierensis Pandanus infundibuliformis Pandanus limitaris Pandanus mangarevaensis Pandanus benignus Pandanus sinuosus Pandanus ala-kai Pandanus adscendens Pandanus vandra Pandanus brownii Pandanus bothreus Pandanus brachypodus Pandanus bowenensis Pandanus chamissonis Pandanus charancanus Pandanus blakei Pandanus bergmanii Pandanus baptistii Pandanus littoralis Pandanus lauensis Pandanus malatensis Pandanus matukuensis Pandanus longifolius Pandanus macfarlanei Pandanus macrocephalus Pandanus papeariensis Pandanus kafu Pandanus koidzumii Pandanus korrensis Pandanus kraussii Pandanus kusaiensis Pandanus laevis Pandanus lakatwa Pandanus lambasaensis Pandanus kamptos Pandanus papenooensis Pandanus palkilensis Pandanus parksii Pandanus parhamii Pandanus okamotoi Pandanus onoilauensis Pandanus ovalauensis Pandanus pedunculatus Pandanus moschatus Pandanus mendanensis Pandanus menne Pandanus oblatiapicalis Pandanus obliquus Pandanus mbalawa Pandanus nandiensis Pandanus decorus Pandanus insularis Pandanus guamensis Pandanus duriocarpus Pandanus duriocarpoides Pandanus enchabiensis Pandanus divergens Pandanus drolletianus Pandanus fischerianus Pandanus fatyanion Pandanus dilatatus Pandanus feruliferus Pandanus eyesyes Pandanus erythrophloeus Pandanus extralittoralis Pandanus coronatus Pandanus hosokawai Pandanus heronensis Pandanus cylindricus Pandanus hosinoi Pandanus hubbardii Pandanus tectorius var. australianus Pandanus tectorius var. pedunculatus Pandanus vangeertii Pandanus odoratissimus var. setchellii Pandanus odoratissimus var. pyriformis Pandanus odoratissimus var. parksii Pandanus odoratissimus f. major Pandanus cylindricus var. sinnau Pandanus carolinensis Pandanus odoratissimus var. levigatus Pandanus tectorius var. laevis Pandanus laevis Pandanus tectorius var. sandvicensis Pandanus tectorius var. samak Pandanus tectorius var. pulposus Pandanus tahitensis var. niueana Pandanus tahitensis var. exiguus Pandanus tectorius var. parksii Pandanus tectorius var. taepa Pandanus tectorius var. uapensis Pandanus tectorius var. jonesii Pandanus tectorius var. ferreus Pandanus tectorius f. laevis Pandanus tectorius var. brongniartii Pandanus pulposus var. cooperi Pandanus coronatus f. minor Pandanus discolor Pandanus odoratissimus var. savaiensis Pandanus tectorius var. microcephalus Pandanus fischerianus var. bryanii Pandanus tectorius var. chamissonis Pandanus tectorius var. douglasii Pandanus tectorius f. philippinensis Pandanus tectorius var. fragrans Pandanus tectorius var. javanicus Pandanus tectorius var. novocaledonicus Pandanus tectorius var. novoguineensis Pandanus odoratissimus var. oahuensis Pandanus tectorius var. spiralis Pandanus tectorius var. suringaensis Pandanus tectorius var. timorensis Pandanus tectorius var. zollingeri Pandanus laticanaliculatus var. edulis Pandanus tectorius var. angaurensis Pandanus tectorius var. fatyanion Pandanus tectorius var. ongor Pandanus tectorius var. acutus Pandanus fischerianus var. cooperi Pandanus fischerianus f. bergmanii Pandanus fischerianus f. bryanii Pandanus fischerianus f. compressus Pandanus tectorius var. sanderi Corypha laevis Pandanus douglasii Pandanus seruaensis Pandanus pyriformis Pandanus rotensis Pandanus repens Pandanus veitchii Pandanus temehaniensis Pandanus tamaruensis Pandanus tubuaiensis Pandanus fahina Pandanus samoanus Pandanus tectorius var. exiguus Pandanus cooperi Pandanus marquesasensis Pandanus angulosus Pandanus haapaiensis Pandanus subaequalis Pandanus makateaensis Pandanus viri Pandanus tectorius var. stradbrookensis Pandanus tupaiensis Pandanus drakei Pandanus inarmatus Pandanus amplexus Pandanus collatus Pandanus rurutuensis Pandanus saltuarius Pandanus mariaensis Pandanus apionops Pandanus bicurvatus Pandanus aoraiensis Pandanus laticanaliculatus Pandanus jaluitensis Pandanus inermis Pandanus katensis Pandanus pansus Pandanus politus Pandanus patulior Pandanus mei Pandanus menziesii Pandanus odontoides Pandanus fragrans Pandanus distinctus Pandanus dicheres Pandanus crassiaculeatus Pandanus crustatus Pandanus odoratissimus var. suvaensis Pandanus odoratissimus var. spurius Pandanus tuamotensis var. locularis Pandanus crustatus f. minor Pandanus tectorius var. savaiiensis Pandanus spurius var. weteringii Pandanus tectorius var. menziesii Pandanus tectorius var. sumbavensis Pandanus fischerianus var. rockii Pandanus tectorius var. setchellii