Hala Tree (Pandanus tectorius)

Hala Tree (Pandanus tectorius)

The Pandanus tectorius, commonly known as the Hala Tree, is the only species of the genus Pandanus that is native to Hawaiʻi. You may have noticed these trees landscaped across the UH Manoa campus or spotting the coastline of local beaches. This plant is very distinguishable because of the aerial roots called prop roots and the long bent leaves. The Hala is a coastal tree that thrives in salty environments, sandy soils, and is very hardy. The Hala tree is a very popular ornamental plant for landscaping because it was a very important plant in ancient Hawai'i. The leaves of the Hala were woven into fine mats that were used for house flooring. Currently people make lauhala bracelets and purses. The lau is the Hawaiian word for leaf. The dried fruits of the Hala were also used as paint brushes for dying clothing and the prop roots were used for medicinal healing. 

The image was taken with my own personal camera at the UH Manoa Campus.