Pandanus and Screw Pines

How to choose a pandanus

The Coastal Screw Pine, Pandanus pedunculatus, is the native species of the Queensland and northern New South Wales coast. It grows slowly into a broad, branching tree about five to eight metres tall, held up by thick prop roots, and female trees carry large, segmented fruit that look a little like pineapples. It is the one for a beachside garden or a native coastal planting.

The Red Edge Pandanus is a form of Pandanus utilis, a tree species with stiff leaves in a tight spiral and red spines along the edges. Baptists Pandanus is a smaller, clumping foliage plant known for leaves without spines on the margins, and the Variegated Baptists Pandanus adds cream to yellow striping. The Unicorn Pandanus is a less common species for collectors of tropical foliage. Pandan, Pandanus amaryllifolius, is the culinary pandan whose fragrant leaves are used in South East Asian cooking.

Where pandanus grows

Pandanus are warm climate plants. The coastal screw pine thrives in tropical and subtropical seaside gardens, in full sun, sand and salt wind, and it grows on the coast as far south as the mid north coast of New South Wales. It needs a frost free site. The foliage species want warmth, humidity and protection from cold, and suit the tropics and subtropics outdoors.

Pandan is a true tropical. It needs warmth all year, moisture and frost protection, so south of the subtropics grow it in a pot that can spend winter in a warm, bright, sheltered place. Browse our plants for coastal areas, tropical plants and plants for tropical climates for plants to go with them.

Planting and spacing

All pandanus need free drainage. Plant the coastal screw pine in an open, sunny position with at least four to five metres of clear space, as the crown and prop roots spread with age, and keep it back from paths because the leaf edges of most pandanus are spiny. Use the spineless foliage forms where people walk or sit. Plant foliage species about a metre apart in a group, in soil enriched with compost. Grow pandan in a wide pot of quality potting mix or a moist, sheltered garden bed.

Care basics

Water new plants regularly until they are growing strongly. The coastal screw pine is then very self reliant and needs water only in extended dry periods. Foliage species and pandan like steady moisture through the warm months and less in winter.

Never cut or bury the prop roots of a screw pine: they anchor and support the tree. Remove dead leaves with gloves and long sleeves. Harvest pandan by cutting the older, outer leaves as you need them. Our pandanus varieties guide compares spined and spineless kinds and their sizes.

Common questions

Is a pandanus a palm?

No. Pandanus belong to their own family, the screw pines, named for the spiral arrangement of the leaves.

Can pandanus grow in pots?

Yes. Pandan and the foliage species grow well in large pots. A coastal screw pine can be kept in a tub for some years while young but belongs in the ground.

Do pandanus tolerate frost?

No. They are frost tender, and pandan in particular needs protection from cold. In cooler districts grow the smaller kinds in pots and move them under cover for winter.

How do I use pandan leaves?

Fresh leaves are knotted and simmered with rice, custards and syrups for their fragrance, or blended with water and strained to flavour and colour desserts.