Native, iconic in Hawaii, and it turns out I actually do have a real story behind this one after all.
The Basics
Hala, Pandanus tectorius, is a tree in the screwpine family, Pandanaceae — the same family as pandan, which we also grow.
Origin and Habitat
Native throughout the Pacific and found across coastal Hawaii, often growing right up to the shoreline where few other trees tolerate the salt and wind.
What It Looks Like
An unmistakable tree with stilt-like prop roots, spiraling crowns of long spiny leaves, and large, segmented fruit that looks a bit like a pineapple.
Uses and Flavor
Culturally significant in Hawaii, where the leaves, called lauhala, are woven into mats, baskets, and hats. The fruit segments (keys) can be chewed for their fibrous, faintly sweet pulp, though it’s more a cultural food than an everyday one.
Growing It Here
I actually sprouted this one from seed back in 2013, and it’s now a hala plant over 20 feet tall, growing in a genuinely harsh spot, dry and windy, where it’s turned into a real windbreak along the driveway. The seed is a rare red variety originally from the Queen’s palace on Alii Drive, shared with us by Holly from the Malaai garden. Apparently there’s about a 75% chance it’ll produce the red fruit variety once it matures, which would be a really special thing to see. No fruit yet, but the tree itself has more than earned its keep as a windbreak in the meantime.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing to report so far.
Kenta’s Take
Some trees earn their place just by being unmistakably, iconically Hawaiian, and this one adds a rare red-fruited pedigree and 13 years of growth on top of that. Now I just need it to actually fruit and find out if that 75% odds bet pays off.