Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 8023236

Thatch Screwpine

Pandanus tectorius

Also known as Tahitian Screwpine, Hala Tree, Tourist Tree, Pandanus

Thatch screwpines anchor storm-swept shores with an intricate pyramid of thick, aerial prop roots that brace the trunk against tropical typhoons and coastal shifting sands. Long, strap-like leaves spiral outward in dense crowns, armed along their margins with hooked prickles that protect the canopy from coastal herbivores. Female trees develop enormous, segmented syncarps resembling woody pineapples that break into buoyant, fibrous keys adapted to drift across ocean currents for months.

CoastalDune StabilizerTropical
Thatch Screwpine reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Steve Fitzgerald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Steve Fitzgerald · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotroph (Photosynthesis)
Predators
  • Coconut crab
  • Pacific flying fox
  • Scale insects
ThreatsCoastal development, shoreline erosion, severe cyclones, sea level rise
HabitatsCoastal strand forests, sand dunes, rocky headlands, mangrove fringes
Life span50–80 years
Classification
  1. OrderPandanales
  2. FamilyPandanaceae
  3. GenusPandanus
  4. SpeciesPandanus tectorius
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Watch the foliage: The long leaves are lined with sharp prickles that easily snag clothing and scratch skin.
  • Inspect prop roots: Look closely at the arching stilt roots to observe how they stabilize coastal sand.
Related species
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