普遍生長在臺灣全島海岸邊，彎曲樹幹上有螺旋狀排列的葉叢，造型相當奇特，著名的臺灣民間鬼故事「林投姐」，就是發生在林投樹上，前人或許是利用故事來嚇阻小朋友別去海邊玩水。葉片是編織材料。果實形狀像鳳梨，雖然果香濃烈，但是纖維多、果汁少，吃起來很費工，蘭嶼和一些太平洋島嶼開發製作冰沙等冷飲，成為當地名產。

the entire island of Taiwan. The spirally arranged leaves on the curved tree trunks looks strange and scary at night. It is the kind of tree described in the well-known Taiwanese ghost story "Lady Lintou". It’s said that in the old time, people told the story to deter children from going to the beach. The leaves can be used as weaving material. The fruit looks like a pineapple and has strong fragrance, but is more fibrous and less juicy, very laborious to eat. Lanyu and some Pacific islanders have repurposed the fruits to cold drinks such as smoothies, becoming local famous products.

露兜樹屬常綠灌木，分佈於臺灣及太平洋、印度洋周遭的島嶼海岸。常從樹幹伸出支柱根支撐樹幹；莖直立或彎曲匍匐狀，表皮粗糙有瘤狀突起，葉痕明顯。條形葉簇生於枝頂，螺旋狀排列，葉緣和背面中脈有銳刺。雌雄異株。雄花序由穗狀花序組成，白色佛焰苞長披針形，有芳香味；雌花序頭狀圓球形，單生於枝頂。花期1~5月。聚合果球形，由40~80個核果組成，成熟時橘紅色。

An evergreen shrub in the genus Pandanus, distributed in the coasts of Taiwan, islands in the both Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Brace roots often grown from the trunk to support the trunk: stem erect or prostrate, surface coarse and nodular, with obvious leaf marks. Linear leaves tufted at the tip of the branch, arranged spirally, with sharp spines on the leaf margin and the midrib on the back. Dioecious, male flowers consisting of spikes, the white spathe shaped long-lanceolate and aromatic; female flowers spherical, solitary and terminal, Flowering from January to May. Aggregate fruits spherical, with 40-80 drupes, orange-red when ripe.

喜全日照、溫暖氣候，主要生長在熱帶海岸邊，耐風、耐鹽、耐旱、耐貧瘠。以種子或分株繁殖。

The plant prefers full sun and warm environments, mainly grown on the tropical coasts; resistant to wind, tolerant to salt, drought and barren. Reproduced from seeds or ramets.

可作庭園景觀樹、海岸防風定沙植物、種子小品盆栽。果及嫩芽可食。葉片可編製蓆、帽等工藝品。鮮花可提取芳香油。根、葉、果均可入藥。

Commonly grown as garden ornament trees, coastal windbreak, sand-fixing plants, and potted seedlings. The fruits and shoots are edible. The blades can be used to weave mats, caps and other crafts. The flowers can be extracted for the aromatic oils. The roots, leaves, and fruits can be added to medicines.