Coastal Hala Beauty Photograph by Heidi Fickinger
hala
The pandanus or screw pine (Pandanus odoratissimus), native from southern Asia east to Hawaiʻi, growing at low altitudes, both cultivated and wild. It is a tree with many branches, which are tipped with spiral tufts of long narrow, spine-edged leaves; its base is supported by a clump of slanting aerial roots. The pineapple-shaped fruits are borne on female trees whereas the spikes of fragrant, pollenbearing flowers are borne separately on male trees. Many uses: leaves (lau hala) for mats, baskets, hats; the yellow to red fruit sections for leis, brushes; male flowers to scent tapa, their leaflike bracts to plait mats (see hīnano). (Neal 51.) The aerial root (uleule) tip is a good source of vitamin B and cooked in ti leaves was used medicinally, although unpleasant tasting. The tree is called pū hala. The hala lei is much liked today but formerly was not worn on important ventures because hala also means failure. For the same reason some persons will not compose songs about hala. Types of hala are listed below. Pineapples are hala plus qualifier. See ex., pō 2. Puna paia ʻala i ka hala, Puna, its walls fragrant with pandanus [fragrant flowers were placed indoors in house thatching and under mats]. (PPN fara.)
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