Pandanus (tectorius)
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Kim Wilkinson Craig Elevitch Permanent Agriculture Resources P.O. Box 428 Holualoa, Hawaii 96725 808-324-4427 808-324-4129 (fax) par@agroforestry.net www.agroforestry.net |
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| Family Scientific Name: | Pandanaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Screw pine | ||
| Scientific Name: | Pandanus tectorius S. Parkinson ex Z | ||
| Common Name: | pandanus; screw pine; hala, pu hala (Hawaii); balawa; vadra (Fiji); fala, lau fala, fasa (Tonga, Samoa); 'ara (Cooks); fara (Societies); fa'a; ha'a (Marquesas) | ||
| Ecotype: | Mesic coastal sites, and low elevation mesic slopes of mesic valleys | ||
| General Distribution: | Indigenous to Hawaii, found on all the main islands except Kaho'olawe. Also indigenous to the rest of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, to northern Australia. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 0 | ||
| Target Specifications: | Height: 30 cm, Stem diameter: 12 mm | ||
| Propagule Collection: | There are female and male hala trees. The female trees flower and bear fruit several times per year. The fruit takes several months to ripen, turning from greenish to yellow, orange or reddish and very fragrant when ripe. The fruit is about the size and shape of a squat pineapple, and consists of 40 - 80 sections called keys. Each key has a fleshy end and a hard end containing 1 or 2 seeds. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Collect fruit when ripe and fragrant directly from the tree or collect freshly fallen keys from the ground. Germination for fresh keys is high. Storage practices are unknown, although since it is thought thatkeys can float long distances in ocean water, storage of clean keys for some weeks or months may be possible. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | No pretreatment is necessary. Cutting off the fleshy end of the seed is recommended in order to reduce decomposition of the organic matter in the germination bed. It is said that soaking for five days in water (changing the water daily) hastens germination. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Seeds can be germinated in light shade or full sun. Seeds are sown first in trays filled with 2 parts peat and 1 part perlite and transplanted when the seeds begin to germinate. Bury the seeds half way, and keep moist. Germination takes about 2 months. | ||
| Establishment Phase: | Because hala germinants are large, it is recommended that seedlings are grown in 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon root training containers. Options include Deepots (Tall Ones, available from Steuwe & Sons), Roottrainers (Carl Whitcomb), or copper-coated poly bags. A well-drained potting media such as 50% Sunshine peat moss, 25% perlite, 25% vermiculite, amended with a little compost, dolomite lime, gypsum, and slow-release fertilizer such as osmocote 14-14-14 is used. Potting media should also be inoculated with VAM (mycorrhizal fungi). | ||
| Length of Establishment Phase: | 2 months | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | Seedlings can be grown in light shade or full sun. In some cases, amending with additional fertilizer such as a light top dressing of Gro-More 8-8-8 will aid in growth and development. The crevices between leaves lend themselves as habitat for mealy bugs and scale. Insecticidial soap can be used to control these pests. | ||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 6 - 8 months | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Move seedlings to full sun conditions for hardening phase. Space seedlings out further if necessary. Seedlings should never be allowed to dry out, but watering frequency may be reduced to introduce seedlings to temporary, moderate water stress. If fertilization is necessary during the hardening phase, N fertilizer should be minimized or eliminated, with emphasis on P, K, and micronutrients. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 2 months | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | When seedlings have reached target size, they may be delivered to the planting site. Seedlings must be protected from wind and excessive heat during transport, but refrigeration is not recommended. The container should be cut off (rather than pulling out the plant) to reduce damage to the root system. | ||
| References: |
Bornhorst, Heidi L. 1996. Growing native Hawaiian plants: a How-to Guide for the Gardener. The Bess Press, Honolulu. Little, Elbert L. and Roger G. Skolmen. 1989. Common Forest Trees of Hawai`i (Native and Introduced). United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 679. National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). 1996. Ten native Hawaiian trees for urban landscapes. Lawai, Hawaii. Thaman, R.R., C.R. Elevitch and K.M. Wilkinson. 2000. "Multipurpose Trees for Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands. In: Elevitch, C.R. and K.M. Wilkinson. 2000. Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands. Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, HI. web: http://www.agroforestry.net University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. 2001. Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. Honolulu, HI. Web: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/pan-tect.htm Wagner, Warren L., Darrel R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i. 2 vols., Bishop Museum Special Publication 83. University of Hawaii Press and Bishop Museum Press. Honolulu. |
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Citation:
Elevitch, Craig R.; Wilkinson, Kim M.. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Pandanus tectorius S. Parkinson ex Z plants Permanent Agriculture Resources Holualoa, Hawaii. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/01/31). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
