Plant · GBIF taxon 5327320
Screw Palm
Pandanus spiralisAlso known as Screw Pine, Spring Pandanus, Australian Screw Pine
Screw palms form striking silhouettes across the monsoonal landscapes of tropical northern Australia with their distinctive spiraling leaf clusters and woody prop roots. Large, multi-segmented fruit heads resembling giant pineapples hang beneath dense crowns, falling apart into durable wedges when mature. Indigenous Australians have long utilized the tough, fibrous leaves for traditional weaving and crafted tools from the sturdy timber.
TreeTropicalSpiny
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic
Predators
- Feral pigs
ThreatsUncontrolled bushfires, land clearing, invasive weeds
HabitatsCoastal dunes, tropical savannas, monsoonal floodplains
Life span30–60 years
Classification
- FamilyPandanaceae
- SpeciesPandanus spiralis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild plants based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Avoid Spines: Exercise caution near fronds, which feature sharp teeth along margins and midribs.
- Observe Roots: Inspect the heavy aerial prop roots that anchor the trunk in sandy or wet soils.
Frequent Companion (c) T. Hammer, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by T. Hammer · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Steve Fitzgerald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Steve Fitzgerald · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative
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