47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

2026-09-22T17:33:51Z

Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; width:320px;"
|-
! colspan="2" | Pandanus tectorius
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Hala (Pandanus tectorius).jpg|250px|Pandanus tectorius (hala) in northern Queensland, Australia.]]
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Pandanus tectorius'' [[#cite_note-1|[1]]]
|-
! Common names
| Hala; hala fruit; pandanus fruit; screw pine
|-
! Genus
| [[Pandanus]]
|-
! Family
| [[Pandanaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Pandanales]]
|-
! Growth form
| Tropical tree of lowland island habitats [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|-
! Native range
| Pacific and Southeast Asia; lowland humid and subhumid tropical climates [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|-
! Climate and site
| Cultivated to about 600 m in suitable tropical conditions [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|-
! Light
| Full sun; intermediate shade of about 30–50% is tolerated, while heavier shade can stop flowering and fruiting [[#cite_note-3|[3]]]
|-
! Propagation
| Branch cuttings, preferably planted during the wet season [[#cite_note-3|[3]]]
|-
! Pollination
| Dioecious; male and female plants are needed when fruit and seed are wanted [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|-
! Fruit
| A syncarp of about 40–80 drupes; edible forms are selected for lower calcium oxalate content [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|}

'''''Pandanus tectorius''''', commonly called hala, hala fruit, pandanus fruit, or screw pine, is a tropical tree of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. It is dioecious, so a planting intended to produce fruit or seed needs both male and female plants. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Description ==

Pandanus tectorius is a lowland island tree with a syncarp fruit made up of roughly 40–80 drupes. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]] The species is associated with Pacific and Southeast Asian coastal and atoll environments and is valued as a multipurpose plant in those regions. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Cultivation ==

The species is associated with lowland humid and subhumid tropical climates and is cultivated to about 600 m. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]] Its documented light range is broad, but fruit production depends on keeping the planting out of heavy shade. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]]

=== Soil and water ===

The species' lowland island and atoll setting does not establish a single soil texture or pH requirement. As a genus-level inference from that species context, begin with a free-draining root zone and adjust irrigation to how quickly the planting site drains rather than applying a fixed schedule; this is not a species-specific soil or pH threshold.

=== Sun and humidity ===

Full sun is suitable, and intermediate shade of about 30–50% is tolerated. Higher shade can stop flowering and fruiting. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]] The species is associated with humid and subhumid lowland climates, so protected tropical conditions are a better match than cool, dry sites. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

=== Seasonal changes ===

Branch cuttings are planted during the wet season, usually in full sun or up to roughly 25–30% shade. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]] This wet-season timing provides the most favorable establishment window described for the species; outside that period, irrigation should be adjusted to the site's drainage and drying rate rather than to a universal calendar.

== Propagation ==

Branch cuttings can be planted during the wet season into their final field positions, normally in full sun or up to roughly 25–30% shade. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]] A vegetatively propagated plant retains the sex of its parent, so a fruiting planting still needs access to a male plant as well as female plants. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Male and female plants are required when fruit and seed are desired. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]] Heavy shade can stop flowering and fruiting, so fruiting plants should remain in full sun or only intermediate shade. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]] One documented growth estimate places the juvenile phase at roughly 4–9 years, followed by 5–12 years of erect growth and a productive life of 40–60 years or more under suitable conditions; these figures are not a guaranteed schedule for every planting. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Fruit and uses ==

The fruit is a syncarp composed of approximately 40–80 drupes. Forms cultivated for food have been selected for lower calcium oxalate content, so edibility and preparation should be treated as form-dependent rather than generalized to every plant. [[#cite_note-2|[2]]] Pacific agroforestry material also documents edible cultivars and the plant's cultural and economic importance. [[#cite_note-3|[3]]] This information does not establish a blanket raw-fruit safety rule for all forms.

== Photos ==

[[File:Pandanus tectorius (5187732877) (2).jpg|240px|Hala or screw pine with aerial roots and foliage at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden, Oʻahu.]]

== References ==

* [[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Pandanus%20tectorius Pandanus tectorius - GBIF species match API].

* [[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Pandanus+tectorius Pandanus tectorius - Useful Tropical Plants].

* [[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://agroforestry.org/images/pdfs/P.tectorius-pandanus.pdf Pandanus tectorius (pandanus) - Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry].

== Image credits ==

* ''Hala (Pandanus tectorius).jpg'' — Cliff (Flickr user 28567825@N03), CC BY 2.0. [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hala_(Pandanus_tectorius).jpg Wikimedia Commons file page]. Attribution: Cliff; license link: [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ CC BY 2.0].

* ''Pandanus tectorius (5187732877) (2).jpg'' — David Eickhoff, CC BY 2.0. [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pandanus_tectorius_(5187732877)_(2).jpg Wikimedia Commons file page]. Attribution: David Eickhoff; license link: [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ CC BY 2.0].

Pandanus tectorius - Revision history

47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance