[8] The fruit is made up of 38–200 wedge-like phalanges, often referred to as keys or carpels, which have an outer fibrous husk and are 8 inches in length.

[12] In Australia, it is native to an area from Port Macquarie in New South Wales to northern Queensland.

[15][8] Its exact native range is unknown due to extensive cultivation; it may be an early Polynesian introduction to many of the more isolated Pacific islands on which it occurs.

[15] In Hawaii, P. tectorius is found natively on all the main islands except Kahoʻolawe,[8] and it is known to have predated human settlement, based on seed and pollen samples taken from Kauaʻi's Makauwahi Cave.

[16] Pandanus tectorius naturally grows in coastal regions, such as on mangrove margins and beaches,[9] at elevations from sea level to 610 m (2,000 ft).

[18] P. tectorius is salt and wind tolerant and favors slightly acidic to basic soil (pH of 6–10).

[9] There are a wide range of natural enemies that pose a threat to P. tectorius such as parasites, pathogens, and herbivores.

[18] The stick insect Megacrania batesii lives and feeds only on P. tectorius and two other Pandanus species.

[21] A natural predator in the form of a wasp native to northern Queensland, Aphanomerus pusillus, has been introduced on Fraser Island[23][24] and in Byfield National Park[21] as one of methods used to combat the pest.

[18] In Native Hawaiian plants for tropical seaside landscaping, Moriarty says for best results use mature branches with leaves and small aerial roots.

It is an important food source in the atolls of Micronesia and Polynesia, with the fruit commonly eaten raw or turned into a dried paste (e.g., mokwan in the Marshall Islands or te tuae in Kiribati[28]) or flour.

[citation needed] It is also used in Samoan culture as a ula fala, a necklace made out of the dried fruit painted in red and is worn by the matai during special occasions and functions.

Leaves were used by the Polynesians to make baskets, mats, outrigger canoe sails, thatch roofs,[33] and grass skirts.

[citation needed] A large shrub or small tree of immense cultural, health, and economic importance in the Pacific, it is second only to coconut on atolls.

It grows wild mainly in semi-natural vegetation in littoral habitats throughout the tropical and subtropical Pacific, where it can withstand drought, strong winds, and salt spray.

It grows fairly quickly, and all parts are used, from the nutritious fruits of edible varieties to the poles and branches in construction to the leaves for weaving and garlands.

[This paragraph needs citation(s)] Hundreds of cultivated varieties are known by their local names and characteristics of fruits, branches, and leaves.

The reasons include less replanting, deforestation, fire, flagging interest by the new generation, and rapid population growth leading to urbanization.

Local legend tells of an aged Hawaiian couple who lived long ago above the present Punahou campus, and had to travel far for water.

Finally one night, in a dream answering their prayers, they were told to uproot the stump of an old hala tree.