A very variable species that has at times been divided into a large number of closely related species.

Common Name: Screwpine

General Information

Pandanus tectorius is a small, often multi-stemmed, evergreen tree with conspicuous prop roots and prickly stems[]. It usually grows around 3 - 7 metres tall, occasionally to 14 metres. Sword-like leaves that can be 1 metre long grow in clusters at the top of the tree and ends of branches[, , ].
A multipurpose plant, it is very important in the economy of local people where the fruit is often a staple food. Various parts of the plant are edible, it also supplies a wide range of materials and has various medicinal applications. It is commonly harvested from the wild and is also often cultivated - a wide range of cultivated forms have been developed. Products from the plant are often traded in local markets and beyond[]. The plant is also often grown as an ornamental in many areas of the tropics[, , ].
Pandanus tectorius is widespread in Southeast Asia and island nations of the Pacific Ocean. It is present on many atolls where it is an important multipurpose tree. The species is widespread and no major threats are recorded.The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The seeds can contain calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate the mouth. These can be removed by cooking and straining the seeds[].

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and throughout the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Sandy soils by the coast[]. Usually forming a more or less dense stand immediately to the back of the beach, and never found very far inland[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	7.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pandanus tectorius is a plant of lowland humid and subhumid tropical climates, rarely found above an elevation of 20 metres in the wild but cultivated at elevations up to 600 metres[, ]. It is found in areas where the mean annual temperature ranges from 24 - 28°c, the mean temperature of the hottest month is 28 - 36°c and that of the coldest month is 17 - 25°c[]. The minimum temperature experienced in its native range iss 12°c[], though one report says that it can tolerate occasional temperatures down to almost freezing[]. Mean annual rainfall varies from 1,500 - 4,000mm, with no dry season or a short dry season of 2 - 3 months[].
Succeeds in sun or partial shade, preferring a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position[, ]. It is adapted to an extraordinarily wide range of light to heavy­textured soil types, including brackish/saline soils, light­coloured, infertile coralline atoll sands, alkaline sands, thin soils over limestone, and peaty swamps[]. Grows well in sandy soils[]. Does well in poor or highly alkaline soils[]. Tolerant of a pH range from 6 - 10[]. Plants are very tolerant of maritime exposure, including buffeting from moderate to severe tropical cyclones[]. Established plants can tolerate droughts of 3 - 6 months and will continue to fruit, and are also tolerant of extended periods of soil waterlogging[].
Plants grown from seed can take 20 years to reach sexual maturity. For their first 4 - 9 years they have a juvenile, semi-prostrate phase, then comes 5 - 12 years of erect trunk growth before flowering commences. Plants can remain productive for another 40 - 60 years or more[].
Plants grown from cuttings can commence fruiting in 4 to 6 years. Fruiting can continue for another 20 - 25 years[, ].
Fruits take about 12 months to mature after fertilization[].
Branches do not have dormant buds and so will not resprout if cut back into the old wood[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruits and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - a staple food in parts of the Pacific[]. Some forms have been selected for their low content of calcium oxalate crystals, and these can safely be eaten raw[]. Other forms need to be cooked in order to destroy the calcium oxalate crystals[]. The fruit has an excellent flavour[] and is very fragrant[]. The fruit can be used to make a juice, or it can be cooked as a jam[]. It can be dried and made into flour, a paste or as thin, flat cakes[]. The paste is often make in large quantities in order to provide a supply al year round[].
The juice made from the fruit is sweet and slightly acid with a pungent flavour[]. It is produced on a commercial basis in the Marshall Islands[].
The ovoid fruit is about 18cm in diameter[]. The cylindrical fruit is a syncarp made up of 40 - 80 individual drupes[, ]. Individual drupes are hard, orange woody wedges 5 - 10cm long - each containing a few, slender seeds[]. Each wedge has a fleshy base imbued with a sweet-smelling, orange pulp with a flavour like sweet, mashed pumpkin[].

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. A delicious nutty flavour when eaten raw or cooked, though they are fiddly to extract[]. Seeds contain 44 - 50% fat and 20 - 34% protein[]. The seeds of the related Pandanus dubius are larger and are more commonly eaten[].

Terminal buds - raw[]. Used like the apical buds of palm trees, they can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Inner base of young leaves - raw[], or cooked as a vegetable.

Kewra water, which is a watery extract distilled from the male flowers, is used as a flavouring in desserts and drinks[, ].

Aerial roots - cooked[]. They can be processed into a beverage[].

Flowers[]. The flower buds are eaten as a vegetable[].

Pollen[].

Medicinal

The aerial roots yield a decoction that is used as a beverage in the treatment of blennorrhoea[]. This decoction, combined with urethral injections of the sap of the base of the banana plant, is said to be a rapid cure for this malady[].

The bark is scraped in Zingiber leaf and the juice extracted into a cup. This liquid is drunk as a sedative for patients with mental health problems[].

A decoction of the roots is used to treat haemorrhoids[].
A small portion of the young root is heated over a fire then crushed on a smooth stone - the extracted juice is applied to the bites or wounds caused by any fish, beings said to ease the pain and promote healing[].

The leaves, especially the basal white section of young leaves, are used in treatments for cold/flu, hepatitis, dysuria, asthma, boils and cancer[].

The male flowers are said to have aphrodisiac properties[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Pandanus tectorius has a wide range of applications in agroforestry and perennial gardens. It is very tolerant of strong, salt-laden winds and can be used near the coast to provide protection for other food crops. In addition, it will succeed on sand dunes and is planted there to stabilize the dunes[].
The plant can also be used as a living fence or hedge to mark boundaries etc[, ].
Pandanus works well in ally cropping systems, where it also serves to protect the other crops from the wind[].
The plant produces a good bulk of organic matter and are known to raise fertility and organic matter levels in sandy, coralline soils. The leaves are often used as a mulch or for producing compost[].

Other Uses

The leaves are used to make a wide range of products, including hats, mats, baskets, clothing, sails etc[, , ]. There is a thornless variety that is used to produce fibres for thatch, cordage etc[].
The chief use of this plant is in the production of the fibre used in manufacturing sabutan hats. Hats made of sabutan
are strong and durable, and in texture more nearly resemble the Panama hat than any other kind manufactured in the Philippines[]. The unbleached hats are a light green colour, and the chief objection to them is that they do not bleach readily. Good sabutan hats, however, command high prices in the Philippines[].
Sleeping mats of excellent quality are made from sabutan fibres either in natural or dyed shades[].

The leaves are used to weave traditional floor mats, as well as in the construction of traditional houses (thatch for walls and roofing). A roof made from pandanus leaves is said to last about 15 years, while one of coconut leaves may last only 3 years[].

The roots are made into skipping ropes and basket handles[].
String or cordage is made from the cleaned and dried prop roots[].

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant[].

A material (resin/gum?) obtained from the trunk is used as a glue and as a caulking for boats[].

When the flesh is removed from the inner end end of a dried fruit section, fibrous bristles are exposed. These can be used as a brush, with the hard, woody outer end acting as a handle[].
A brush can be made by beating the tips of aerial roots to expose the fibres - the base of the root can be used as a handle[].

A black dye used in weaving is prepared from the roots[].

Charcoal made from pandanus is used in various mixtures to dye and waterproof canoes[].

An essential oil is obtained from the male flowers. It is used in perfumery, cosmetics, hair oils, soaps etc[, ].
The highly fragrant male flowers are used as a decoration and to scent coconut oil[].
An exquisite, uniquely Pacific perfume is made from the aromatic fruits of selected traditional cultivated varieties[].

The leaves are used for wrapping cigars whereas flowers are taken as tobacco substitute[].

The trunks are used in the construction of traditional houses and also for making ladders and as the masts of traditional canoes[, ]. The soft trunks have been used for making fishing rafts[]. Their wood is used for making various small items[].
The trunks of male trees are hard and solid, with a yellow interior containing dark brown fibre bundles. The male wood is very strong, but brittle, meaning that it can suddenly break under a heavy load. It is also a difficult wood to split[].
Trunks of female trees are hard on the outside, but soft, pithy, or juicy in the interior[]. They have been used as water pipes after removing the soft interior[].
Slats made from the clean, dried aerial/prop roots are used for walls of houses and food cupboards[].
The discarded, dried woody fruit sections are highly prized as a fuelwood for cooking because they are slow burning and therefore preferred for barbecues[].
The trunk and branches are also occasionally used as fuelwood, but generally only where other fuelwood is scarce[],

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours[]. To speed germination, soak the drupes in cool tap water for 5 days, changing the water every day[]. Viable drupes will float, so do not discard them[]. Alternatively, remove the fleshy part of the drupe, laying it on the planting medium, and burying it half way[]. Keep the potting mix moist. Germination takes about 2 months[].
Suckers during the growing season.
Cuttings of lateral shoots.
Plants can be propagated from large cuttings[]. Stems with aerial or prop roots are selected; about 2/3 of the leaves are trimmed off to reduce water loss; and the stems rooted in a sandy soil[].

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