Plant Profile: Norfolk Island Pine
What winter-bound northern gardener doesn’t love a tree that grows indoors?
That may explain the popularity of Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), an easy to care for, textural plant that can grow to indoor-tree size over several years. Many people get Norfolk Island pines as a holiday gift because they have the look of a Christmas tree, but these plants are great year-round. The needles are soft to touch and a pretty, mellow green color. It’s a soothing plant for any room.
First, a clarification: It’s not really a pine like the ones that grow all over Minnesota. It is a type of conifer that went extinct in the Northern Hemisphere when the dinosaurs did. It still thrives in the Southern Hemisphere and is native of Norfolk Island, a small island directly east of Brisbane, Australia, and north of New Zealand.
In their native habitat, the trees grow on cliffs and can get up to 200 feet tall. That is not likely to happen in your living room, however! Under good condition indoors, a Norfolk Island pine will grow to 5 to 8 feet tall in about 10 years. I’ve had my little tree just over a year (yes, it was a holiday gift), and it’s about 3 feet tall, having added at least 6 inches in height in the past year.
Care Tips
Norfolk Island pines like lots of light—place yours within a few feet of a south-facing window, if you have one. If not, situate the tree in the brightest room in your house. To promote even growth, you may want to rotate your tree every two or three weeks. Like most easy houseplants, Norfolk Island pines prefer a well-drained soil and don’t like to be over-watered. If the tips of the branches get brown, it’s a sign to add water. They like humidity, too, so it’s a good idea to spray your plant every couple of days or place it in a room with higher humidity.
They do not like an overly cold room—if you turn the heat down to 55 overnight, your plant will be chilly. It does not need a lot of fertilizer from fall through spring. In spring, give your pine a dose of houseplant fertilizer every six to eight weeks until August.
To encourage more growth, consider moving the plant outside for summer. Wait until all danger of frost (or even temps in the 40s) is gone. Move the plant to an area where it does not get intense sun and is protected from winds. Summer is also a good time to repot your little tree if it is getting too big.
Looking for other easy-care houseplants? Here are five great choices for beginning gardeners.
Our Norfolk Pine in a pot was a gift from a friend several years ago. We planted it outdoors and it is now over 40 feet tall and has weathered some chilly winter temps. We lived in Davenport, FL at the time. It is still thriving as we see when visiting friends in our old neighborhood. We now live in The Villages, FL and planted a Norfolk Pine in our backyard and it is doing great. Beautiful tree.
I have one that is probably 55+ years old in my house and is at least 16’ tall. Got it at Walgreens when I was in college in the 70s.
I have one I also got at Walgreens, it was the last one left after the Holidays and almost dead, I felt bad for it and bought it (no discount for an almost dead plant). That was 4-5 years ago, he’s now 4 ft tall and doing great!
Our 30+ year old norfolk pine is now bending over at the top…it went outside this afternoon for the summer. What happens if we cut its top off? It will not sit comfortably when we bring it inside in October. Any advice. Thank you.
It will probably be ok. I saw a big one – circumference over 6 feet- cut off flat. The tree healed and continues to grow up!!!
The circumference of the branches was over 6 feet – not the trunk – haha
Just bought one at Target. Looks very healthy but I’ve had 3 through the years and I always, eventually lose it. Any suggestions?
My Norfolk leaves not the branches but all the leaves or what ever you call them are falling off . Why is that happening
I received a northfork several years ago from my daughter inlay for Christmas. Last year I decorated it for Christmas being light with small bulbs . During the spring sum.er and fall i put it with my other houseplants under a group of small trees. It’s getting good size and have put into a bigger pot. I live in a camper . One day it will be to much. But I’ve enjoyed it and will be my Christmas tree this year too
I live in the Twin Cities. My NIP was given to me by my supervisor at work because it was becoming too big for the office. This was around 1998. I’ve had it in our living room ever since by a northwest facing window. We had no room for it any where else. It has grown too wide and not taller with several trunks competing for growth. Can I chop down one of the trunks to allow more room for the tallest leader? If so, how? Wish I could add a photo.
Thanks.