Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English include thatch screwpine, Tahitian screwpine, hala tree (pū hala in Hawaiian) and pandanus. The fruit is edible and sometimes known as hala fruit.
The local Hawaiian name hala derives ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paŋdan which is also the base for the Pandanus generic name via Malay: pandan; the Malay name for the plant itself is pandan laut (lit. 'sea pandan').
