How to Grow and Care for Norfolk Island Pine

Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is not an actual pine tree, despite the name. Rather, these plants are a relative of the monkey puzzle tree. It is often cultivated as a landscape tree in subtropical climates in North America (USDA zones 10 to 11) and grown indoors elsewhere as a manageable indoor tree, where they grow around three to eight feet tall or can be trained as a bonsai or miniature tree.

Outdoors, the maximum height of a Norfolk Island pine is around 200 feet tall. Whether grown inside or outdoors, the Norfolk pine requires copious amounts of light to survive.

In other regions, the slow-growing Norfolk Island pine is often grown as a living Christmas tree, frequently decorated with ribbons or ornaments. All too often, the tree is discarded after the holiday season, but it can easily be kept as a permanent foliage plant indoors or planted outdoors when it warms up in the spring.

Norfolk Island Pine Care

The main care requirements for a Norfolk Island Pine are fairly straightforward.

• Plant in a location that gets full sun.
• Locate your tree in an area with temperatures above 35°F.
• Water your Norfolk Pine at least every two weeks indoors.
• Test your tree's soil pH and amend for acidic soil.

Norfolk Island pines are capable of growing both indoors and outdoors. While they have preferred growing conditions, they are quite forgiving and can thrive in various settings.

Light

A Norfolk Island pine needs sun, preferring full sun whenever possible. A south-facing window is ideal. Norfolk Island pines can also handle relatively long periods (months at a time) in dimmer conditions. You can keep your potted plant indoors during the winter and then move it to a sunny spot outdoors when the summer comes around.

If your plant begins to stretch while growing inside, the odds are that the combination of low light and heavy fertilizer is causing leggy growth. In that case, cut back on the fertilizer until the plant has more access to sunlight. It's helpful to turn it frequently, so every side gets equal light.

Soil

If growing Norfolk Island pine indoors, use a potting mix that is porous, sandy, and slightly acidic. Adding extra peat moss and sand to a standard potting mix will improve acidity and porosity.

Grown outside, it prefers soil that is rich, sandy, and acidic. These are acid-loving plants, preferring a pH in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. You can check your soil pH with an easy-to-do test, which will help keep your tree happy and healthy for a long time.

Water

Water your Norfolk Island pine regularly, keeping the soil damp but not soggy. Indoors, it should be watered every one to two weeks, until excess moisture starts draining out of the bottom of the pot.

Outdoor Norfolk pine trees prefer the soil to remain somewhat moist. Once established, it will tolerate somewhat dry conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

Because they are native to the South Pacific, Norfolk Island pines prefer warmer, wetter climates between 65°F and 70°F. They can briefly survive cooler and warmer temperatures but may perish if they experience temperatures below 35°F.

If you want to give your Norfolk pine some extra love, use a humidifier to help increase the humidify around the plant.

Fertilizer

Feed your Norfolk Island pine with a weak liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season, although it is best to suspend fertilizing in low-light periods. A 20-20-20 NPK formulation will work fine, but to add the acidity that the Norfolk Island pine loves so much, you can look for proprietary fertilizers specially formulated for conifers or azaleas.

Norfolk Island pines—especially younger trees—have notoriously weak root systems. To strengthen their roots, make sure you're supplying regular fertilizer, and don't hesitate to stake your tree up if it needs support.

Potting and Repotting Norfolk Island Pines

A potted Norfolk Island pine only needs to be repotted when it's rootbound or the roots are beginning to come out of the drainage hole. Young Norfolk Island pines are not very fast growers, so you'll likely only need to repot it every few years.

Repot your Norfolk Island pine in the springtime. Choose a heavy pot to help keep the tree from falling over. Make sure the pot is only a couple of inches larger than the one the plant is coming from, with plenty of drainage holes.

Types of Norfolk Island Pines

There is only one variety of Norfolk Island pine on the market: Araucaria heterophylla. This plant does not have cultivars or named varieties.

A few other species from this family sometimes show up in the trade, mislabeled as the original plant. These include A. columnaris, A. araucana, and A. bidwillii. It's unlikely you'll see these, but if you happen to acquire one, the care requirements are similar.

Pruning

Remove lower branches that have died—a common issue that happens with potted indoor plants. It is usually not recommended to trim the top of the tree, but if a potted tree gets too large for its space, cut off the central leader. If it does get new growth, the new growth will branch out, which will cause the tree to lose its classic evergreen look, but it will help the tree to stay shorter.

Remove dead and diseased branches from trees grown outdoors, but other than this, no routine pruning is necessary.

How to Grow Norfolk Island Pine From Seed

Norfolk Island pine best propagates by seed.

1. Collect the seeds. Break apart the spherical cones after they fall from the tree to remove the seeds. Plant them soon after.
2. Place seeds on soil. Place seeds flat on the soil surface in a container at least 12 inches deep. The ideal soil mix is a moist, peaty, sandy mix. Don't cover the seeds with soil.
3. Mist and wait. Mist the seeds to encourage germination, which should occur in 10 to 15 days.
4. Set pot in bright, indirect light. Place the pot in a spot that gets bright, indirect light. If growing outdoors, choose a location that gets partial sun, with only three to four hours of direct sun.
5. Care for as usual after germination. A tap root and top growth are signs the seed has germinated. Once the seedlings have a tap root and growth, keep the soil moist and care for as usual.
   

Tip

Do not attempt to propagate a Norfolk Island pine by taking a cutting; it is not recommended since new growth does not grow back in its place like other plants.

Overwintering

Norfolk pines can't tolerate temperatures below 35°F.

In winter, bring potted Norfolk Pine trees indoors (if it's not already). Place it in a room with average or high humidity and full, bright sunlight (a bright bathroom would be ideal). Water only when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Norfolk Island Pines are vulnerable to pests including aphids, mealybugs, scale, mites, and whiteflies. If possible, identify the infestation as early as possible and treat it with the least toxic option. A Norfolk pine may also develop a fungal disease from overwatering, such as anthracnose, which can turn entire sections of the tree yellow, brown, and then cause the plant to die.

Norfolk Island Pines Conservation

In its native habitats in the southern Pacific Ocean, Norfolk Island pine is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, that is completely separate from the houseplant trade. Norfolk Island pine is commonly sold as a houseplant, and that has not impacted the plant's status as a threatened species in its native area.

Common Problems With Norfolk Island Pines

This easy-going tree may encounter a few challenges in its life. The needles will turn different colors to alert you to a problem.

Needles Turning Brown

Norfolk Island pine does best in moderate temperatures; it doesn't tolerate cold or heat well. Wide temperature fluctuations can cause the needles to brown. Needles that are turning brown may also indicate that the plant is being overwatered or underwatered.

Needles Turning Yellow

If the needles turn yellow, the tree is either getting too much or not enough sunlight. Assess the light the tree is getting and make an adjustment so it's either getting less or more. Extreme changes in temperature may also be the culprit turning the needles yellow. Check the area for any vents that might have started coming on.

Needles Dropping

Needles will drop for two reasons: your tree is either being overwatered or it's not given enough light.

From: thespruce