Distinctive Pacific and Indian Ocean coastal tree with stilt-like prop roots and a crown of long strap-like spiny leaves. The leaves are the principal weaving fibre across the Pacific.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 10–12 | −1.1 °C to 15.6 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H1c | 5 °C to 10 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 5–7 | 5 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Leaf fibre — the leaves are stripped of spines, softened, split, and woven into mats, hats, baskets and traditional sails across Polynesia, Micronesia, the Pacific, and South-East Asia
- Salt tolerant and wind tolerant — natural coastal pioneer on tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean shores
- Edible cooked fruit segments and starchy seeds — a traditional famine food and ingredient in Pacific cooking
- Strictly tropical — needs warm humid frost-free conditions
- Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Pandanus (Screw pine) against your zones