Araucaria Species, Norfolk Island Pine, Star Pine

Araucariaheterophylla

Genus
Araucaria (air-ah-KAIR-ee-uh)
Species
heterophylla (het-er-oh-FIL-uh)
Synonym
Abies columbaria
Abies columbaria
Sun Exposure
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage
Evergreen
Height
over 40 ft. (12 m)
Spacing
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
Hardiness
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Danger
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling
Pollen may cause allergic reaction
Bloom Color
Inconspicuous/none
Bloom Time
N/A
Other Details
Category
Trees
Water Requirements
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Foliage Color
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
Bloom Size
Other details
Soil pH requirements
4.6 to 5.0 (highly acidic)
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
From seed; germinate in a damp paper towel
Scarify seed before sowing
Seed Collecting
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds
Remove fleshy coating on seeds before storing
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Chowchilla, California

Concord, California

Desert Hot Springs, California

Fontana, California

Fountain Valley, California

Garden Grove, California

Merced, California

Orange, California

Reseda, California

San Diego, California(2 reports)

San Francisco, California

San Leandro, California

Santa Ana, California

Santa Barbara, California(2 reports)

Santa Monica, California

Thousand Oaks, California

Upland, California

Vallejo, California

Whittier, California

Bartow, Florida

Big Pine Key, Florida

Boca Raton, Florida(2 reports)

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Daytona Beach, Florida

Dunnellon, Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jupiter, Florida

Key West, Florida

Kissimmee, Florida

Lake Helen, Florida

Lakeland, Florida

Lutz, Florida

Melbourne, Florida

Merritt Island, Florida

New Port Richey, Florida

Oldsmar, Florida

Palm Bay, Florida

Palm Coast, Florida

Panama City, Florida

Saint Cloud, Florida

Sanford, Florida

Sarasota, Florida

Sebring, Florida

Summerland Key, Florida

Venice, Florida

West Palm Beach, Florida(2 reports)

Statesboro, Georgia

Hilo, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honomu, Hawaii

Kailua, Hawaii

Kaneohe Station, Hawaii

Kapaa, Hawaii

MILILANI, Hawaii

Maunawili, Hawaii

Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii

Macomb, Illinois

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Kenner, Louisiana

Marrero, Louisiana

Metairie, Louisiana

Richmond, Maine

Highland, Maryland

Brighton, Michigan

New York City, New York

Wykagyl, New York

Raleigh, North Carolina

Cleveland, Ohio

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Bluffton, South Carolina

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Antioch, Tennessee

Baytown, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas(2 reports)

Deer Park, Texas

Galveston, Texas

Greenville, Texas

Harlingen, Texas

Houston, Texas(2 reports)

Hutto, Texas

Kerrville, Texas

Mcallen, Texas

Richardson, Texas

Woodway, Texas

show all

Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

37
positives
14
neutrals
5
negatives
Sort By:
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C
Buena Park, CA | April 2017 | neutral

When we moved into our home in inland Orange County, California about a year ago, we found about a dozen Norfolk island pines in large pl...Read More

D
Palm Coast, FL (Zone 9b) | February 2017 | positive

We have numerous Norfolk Island Pines growing along A1A along the coast in our area of Florida. These trees are reported to be susceptib...Read More

F
Houston, TX | July 2016 | positive

Received a small norfolk pine as a Christmas decoration. I live in Houston TX and they seem to grow well here as I have seen a few very ...Read More

C
ROSLINDALE, MA | March 2016 | negative

A common landscape tree in Florida, too common to be a novelty. Its shape make it a poor shade tree.

Fast growing, it quic...Read More

N
N
| September 2015 | neutral

I'm a New Gardener in Cameroon-West Africa, I wish to inquire who can supply me Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) Seeds for my...Read More

M
M
Allentown, PA (Zone 6a) | April 2014 | positive

About two weeks ago I planted 26 Norfolk Island pine seeds in various media in my apartment. Keeping them moist and covered. When can I...Read More

D
QUEENS VILLAGE, NY | March 2014 | negative

Do not plant these Monsters anywhere near your home.

I purchased a home 4 years ago and was advised to trim the 4 pronged...Read More

2
2
Greenville, TX | October 2013 | positive

If your Norfolk Island Pine has out grown its area, one can start a new smaller pine by AIR LAYERING.
I have great success with th...Read More

D
San Diego, CA (Zone 10a) | September 2013 | neutral

Oh my gosh, I love this tree. But it grows way too big for most landscapes. It makes a great living Christmas tree, but once planted, it ...Read More

F
Pompano Beach, FL | August 2013 | positive

We bought our home in Pompano Bch, Fl in 1989 when this
Norfolk Pine was only about 6' Tall.. Probably, It had been a Xmas tree.. ...Read More

L
West Palm Beach, FL | July 2013 | neutral

We live in coastal south Florida. During the rage of the 2004 & 2005 hurricanes, much of the middle of our 40+ foot tree was stripped fro...Read More

B
Claycomo, MO | June 2013 | positive

I lived in Lanai, HI when I was a kid in the late 80's and the Norfolk Island Pines are all over the island. They can reach about 200 fee...Read More

J
J
| November 2012 | positive

Hi,
I've just received the newsletter and the plant of the week is Araucaria heterophylla. The pic which is included is not of A. ...Read More

M
Brighton, MI | November 2012 | positive

When we moved into our home in Michigan, the young couple who built the home had planted a Norfolk Island Pine in a protected, shaded are...Read More

G
G
New Port Richey, FL | November 2012 | positive

I live in coastal Tampa Bay, and these grow into huge tall trees here. They take our coldest winters with ease (23-26F) in the rare dip t...Read More

A
Oxnard, CA | November 2012 | positive

When we moved into our California home 33 years ago, there was a huge Norfolk Island Pine in our front yard. The previous owner had plan...Read More

J
Mason, MI (Zone 5b) | November 2012 | neutral

I grew up in zone 5b where my brother planted one of these in the yard. This would have been in the mid-late 1970's, perhaps before the ...Read More

M
M
Watertown, MA | September 2012 | positive

My 5.5 year old Norfolk Island Pine is in my sunroom from mid October through the end of May. It goes out into my yard in June, and I fe...Read More

F
Sacramento Valley, CA | March 2012 | positive

Amazing 5-pointed new growth. This potentially massive tree has tiers of widely spaced branches like green wedding serving trays getting ...Read More

G
Wykagyl, NY | August 2010 | positive

My parents have a Norfolk Island Pine that they've had for something over 20 years. It has grown in a sun room all that time, never havi...Read More

P
(Zone 8a) | March 2010 | positive

Norfolk Island Pines are easy to grow in a container. Just keep them cool and bright in the winter, so they don't lose their foliage. Oth...Read More

G
G
Hawthorne, FL (Zone 8b) | December 2009 | neutral

Just saw one of these growing outdoors in Palatka, Florida -- though in a somewhat sheltered location -- so they are even hardier to cold...Read More

S
(Zone 9a) | November 2009 | positive

A fantastic architectural pine which surprisingly grows outside in this part of coastal UK (I'll post a photo to prove it).

...Read More

A
A
| November 2009 | neutral

Hi All member,

I request araucaria seed.
every body that have this seed please say to me
thank you.
<...Read More

L
L
South Padre island, TX (Zone 9a) | July 2009 | neutral

I bought a potted NIP as a live Christmas tree in 2008. After the holidays, I kept it outside in the winter, in a sheltered corner of th...Read More

P
Sarasota, FL (Zone 9b) | July 2008 | positive

We bought one about three years ago for our Christmas tree. We have moved "Charles" outside but he is still in a pot which keeps him more...Read More

L
Houston, TX (Zone 9a) | July 2008 | positive

I really had only one and it was an indoor plant, but I lived for a while in Venezuela and they grow very large there. More interesting...Read More

L
Larkspur, CA | July 2008 | positive

I was on the island of Lanai, HI last year. These trees form a forest in and around Lanai City, population about 3,000.They also line bot...Read More

L
Highland, MD (Zone 7a) | July 2008 | positive

I have a NIP that I have had now for over 12 years. It is about 6' tall and is doing well growing inside. It has lost numerous levels o...Read More

B
Boca Raton, FL (Zone 10b) | July 2008 | negative

I had two about 120' tall. Lightning struck one and knocked about 30' off the top. It shattered when it hit the roof. It is very brittl...Read More

W
Macomb, IL | December 2007 | positive

I am currently growing Two Araucaria heterophylla trees which in the wild can grow 200 ft in height. The person that I work for also grow...Read More

M
Plaquemine, LA (Zone 8b) | August 2007 | neutral

I think they are pretty trees.

C
Hollywood, FL | March 2007 | negative

I do not recommend planting the Norfolk Island pine outdoors here in South Florida. They grow like weeds outdoors here and become giants ...Read More

P
(Zone 1) | March 2007 | positive

I had two of these trees at one time in containers as house plants. They didn't seem to like it inside, so I moved the container's out t...Read More

E
E
Santa Barbara, CA | January 2007 | positive

There are quite a few of these growing in Santa Barbara, CA. My house has a terrific NIP in the front yard, more than 50' tall. I'm cur...Read More

1
Bluffton, SC (Zone 9a) | October 2006 | neutral

I have seen people growing this outside here in the beaufort, s.c. area. none are really that big, though they seem to be large enough to...Read More

J
Palm Bay, FL (Zone 9b) | May 2006 | positive

I bought these at Xmas about 10years ago for 25cents..they are about 40ft tall...withstood our hurricanes though bent...this is first tim...Read More

D
Washington, DC (Zone 7a) | May 2006 | neutral

I was given a pot of NIP for Christmas two years ago, and it was about 4' tall. Since then, I haven't been able to really gauge its water...Read More

A
A
Sahuarita, AZ (Zone 9a) | March 2006 | neutral

I tried growing this tree as a houseplant and I did have some success with it. I can't remember what happened to it or what I did wrong, ...Read More

A
Casselberry, FL (Zone 9b) | September 2005 | positive

I never made the connection from those pine trees sold at supermarkets during the holidays to those great big trees in yards. I always u...Read More

M
| June 2005 | positive

There are very tall examples of Araucaria growing here in the Azores where we have hurricane force storms almost every winter. Although v...Read More

B
SC, MT (Zone 5a) | March 2005 | positive

My NIP is a house plant here in Montana. It is about ten years old and started as a little fella. It is now about 6 feet tall. It grow...Read More

E
E
Corpus Christi, TX | August 2004 | neutral

These grow prolificly here in Corpus Christi, Texas. Some are probably 30-40 feet high. That is why I chose to plant one in my front ya...Read More

T
Now in Orlando, FL (Zone 9b) | August 2004 | positive

A 200' pipe cleaner! Neat!

This is obviously a bit of a novelty to have in your yard. They get very tall and keep a perfec...Read More

D
Baton Rouge, LA | August 2004 | positive

I've had 2 -- the first was almost 5' tall when it sucumbed to my neglect. The new one I bought about 4" tall last christmas and it's al...Read More

P
Kailua, HI (Zone 11) | July 2004 | positive

growing up my neighbor had a large one. there were few nicer sites than a crystal clear Hawaii "winter" morn seeing this tree against th...Read More

F
Honomu, HI (Zone 11) | May 2004 | positive

This tree grows quite succesfully all over the islands. Some people use them as windbreaks around their orchards. I think they are beau...Read More

N
Antioch, CA | May 2004 | positive

A great, fun Tree. I saw one at the San Francisco Zoo that was beautiful in structure. This tree had to be over 100 years old from the si...Read More

A
| March 2004 | positive

In Australia this is THE coastal tree,almost every coastal town in the South East has them along their beachfront.It will take any amount...Read More

F
| November 2003 | positive

My dad grew [with pretty good success] LOTS of Noroflk Island Pines when we lived in Tennessee; he put them on the stair landing with a ...Read More

F
Melbourne, FL | September 2003 | positive

The Norfolk Island Pine is all over the cities of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. It grows extremely well here, and can be seen towering...Read More

P
Claremore, OK | August 2003 | positive

Being in Oklahoma, this is only grown as a houseplant here. I have one that I've had for many years that is looking abit "leggy", since ...Read More

I
Keizer, OR (Zone 8b) | August 2003 | negative

Personally think this tree is quite overwhelming and ugly when it grows up. It's okay as a novelty when it's small, but its two relatives...Read More

B
Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9b) | August 2003 | positive

I have seen these growing in Ft Myers, Florida. I live in Jacksonville & don't remember ever seeing any except in planters. I believe the...Read More

P
Acton, CA (Zone 8b) | August 2003 | positive

This is not as common a tree as one is led to think, at least here in southern California where the greater majority of trees sold as thi...Read More

M
(Zone 11) | July 2003 | neutral

It grows well here in Rio de Janeiro, specially near the sea. It´s a slow growing tree, though. There´s a 15 years old tree right there...Read More

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