Pineapples Don't Grow On Trees

On our first trip to northern Australia many years ago, my attention was caught by the numerous palm-like trees that seemed to be bearing crops of pineapples. I remember lazily observing them through the car window and wondering about them. I didn't think pineapples grew on trees, but had never been to the subtropics before and was willing to believe there was an arboreal variety that we ignorant southerners were unaware of.

It didn't take long to find out the 'pineapple trees' were actually pandanus, or screw pines. There are about 700 species of pandanus and the one most likely to be seen in northern Australian coastal areas is Pandanus tectorious or beach screw pine. Though the hard fruits are nothing like pineapples (in anything but appearance), they can be ground to make a flour, which was used by Aboriginals. Birds too enjoy the starchy flesh. Often, the ground below a pandanus is strewn with torn-apart fruit sections, showing where birds have feasted. The foliage was traditionally used to make woven baskets and for thatching. 

Pandanus trees make interesting architectural features in northern gardens. Clusters of long strappy leaves wave in the wind at the tops of multi-branching trunks supported by stilt roots. The large fruits turn from green to bright yellow and glow amidst the palm-like foliage. An added feature is the attractive texture of the trunks, especially in young trees. We admired some with raised circular bands in different shades of brown, which I was compelled to stroke.