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Pandanus utilis
Also called Screw Palm
In Singapore: Vacoa, Screw Pine, Pandanus (Grown in Singapore)
Common screwpine is a salt-tolerant tropical tree from the Mascarene Islands, grown for its spiny, thatching-quality leaves and edible fruit. It needs full sun, warmth and frost-free conditions; it is not a typical houseplant.
Pandanus utilis, commonly known as common screwpine or pimento thatch, is a species of monocot in the genus Pandanus, native to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Réunion, and naturalised in Madagascar (where it has often been thought native), the Seychelles, and elsewhere.
P. utilis grows well near the sea, being salt-tolerant. It is a strictly tropical tree that will not survive frost. It grows in full sun to partial shade but prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Seeds take two to three months to germinate.
Common screwpine has many uses. In coastal areas, it has been used for erosion control due to its numerous aerial roots. These roots help bind the sand dunes along the coast from eroding water and wind. The leaves of are used in different cultures for thatching and the production of numerous materials. Care must be taken when handling the leaves because of their sharp spines. In areas like Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius, the leaves are used to make ropes, baskets, mats, hats, place mats, nets, thatched roofs for homes and even paper. The waxy covering over the leaves makes them especially attractive for baskets and roofs with their natural water-resistant surface. The fruit forms a starchy food and can be eaten after being cooked.
Fragrant Pandan · Pandanus brosimos · Pandanus conoideus · Karuka · Screw Pine · Tahitian screwpine · Screwpine
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pandanus utilis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
