ABOUT PANDAN
PANDAN (Pandanaceae-Screw Pine family)
The pandan leaf is widely used in Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. This plant is a perennial
and needs to grow in warm, damp areas in partial sunlight. The soil must be kept moist. This tree
grows about twenty-six feet high and the fruit heads are
approximately eight inches in diameter and looks like a green pineapple. The leaves are used for
aromatic flavoring but mostly in connection with rice. These leaves are very popular in Thailand,
Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. The leaves are also used as fragrant wrappers for rice,
chicken and other food.
The medicinal uses of this tree are as follows: The entire plant is used as a diuretic, the roots
have anti-diabetic properties and the leaves are used for treating skin diseases.
Strips of the leaves are used in making woven baskets, decorative items, bags and many other
products for home, spa, hotels etc.
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. Plants vary in size from small
shrubs less than 1 m tall, up to medium-sized trees 20 m tall, typically with a broad canopy and
moderate growth rate. The trunk is stout, wide-branching, and ringed with many leaf scars. They
commonly have many thick prop roots near the base, which provide support as the tree grows
top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches. The leaves are strap-shaped, varying between species
from 30 cm up to 2 m or more long, and from 1.5 cm up to 10 cm broad.
They are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on different plants. The flowers of the
male tree are 2-3 cm long and fragrant, surrounded by narrow, white bracts. The female tree
produces flowers with round fruits that are also bract-surrounded. The fruits are globose, 10 to 20
cm in diameter, and have many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit
of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures. The
fruit is edible.
and needs to grow in warm, damp areas in partial sunlight. The soil must be kept moist. This tree
grows about twenty-six feet high and the fruit heads are
approximately eight inches in diameter and looks like a green pineapple. The leaves are used for
aromatic flavoring but mostly in connection with rice. These leaves are very popular in Thailand,
Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. The leaves are also used as fragrant wrappers for rice,
chicken and other food.
The medicinal uses of this tree are as follows: The entire plant is used as a diuretic, the roots
have anti-diabetic properties and the leaves are used for treating skin diseases.
Strips of the leaves are used in making woven baskets, decorative items, bags and many other
products for home, spa, hotels etc.
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. Plants vary in size from small
shrubs less than 1 m tall, up to medium-sized trees 20 m tall, typically with a broad canopy and
moderate growth rate. The trunk is stout, wide-branching, and ringed with many leaf scars. They
commonly have many thick prop roots near the base, which provide support as the tree grows
top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches. The leaves are strap-shaped, varying between species
from 30 cm up to 2 m or more long, and from 1.5 cm up to 10 cm broad.
They are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on different plants. The flowers of the
male tree are 2-3 cm long and fragrant, surrounded by narrow, white bracts. The female tree
produces flowers with round fruits that are also bract-surrounded. The fruits are globose, 10 to 20
cm in diameter, and have many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit
of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures. The
fruit is edible.
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PANDAN SPECIES
PANDAN SPECIES
Go to Page 2
PANDAN SPECIES
PANDAN SPECIES
