Norfolk Island Pine
4.4 out of 5 (32 experiences)
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
About Norfolk Island Pine
Norfolk Island Pine is endemic to Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean, east of Sydney, Australia between New Zealand and New Caledonia. It has a graceful pyramidal shape with wide-spaced branches symmetrically arranged in whorled, horizontal tiers around a single straight trunk. In its native habitat, it reaches heights of 200 feet. It grows best in open, full sun locations with ample room for its large size in well-drained soil type.
Taxonomy
Araucaria heterophylla
Araucaria
Araucariaceae
Pinales
Also known as
Norfolk Pine
How to care for Norfolk Island Pine
Water
How often to water your Norfolk Island Pine
every 9
Norfolk Island Pine needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Light
Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.
Select a city to check sunlight intensity
Finding light for Norfolk Island Pine in your home
a window
Norfolk Island Pine love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Norfolk Island Pine does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Norfolk Island Pine in your home 🏡.
Nutrients
How to fertilize Norfolk Island Pine
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Norfolk Island Pine after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
FAQs
Norfolk Island Pine is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
Water Needs
Norfolk Island Pine prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Norfolk Island Pine requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Toxicity
Norfolk Island Pine is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.
Humidity
Norfolk Island Pine doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.
Soil
Norfolk Island Pine does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Fertilizer
Norfolk Island Pine should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Native Region
Norfolk Island Pine is native to South America and Oceania.
Flowers
Norfolk Island Pine does not flower.
Growth Pattern
Norfolk Island Pine grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Norfolk Island Pine can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
The seeds of Norfolk Island Pine can be used to grow new plants! After your plant flowers, any seeds that formed can be collected and germinated in potting soil.
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.
Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Norfolk Island Pine, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.
Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Norfolk Island Pine
Norfolk Island Pine
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 1ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Survivor 15
Large, lush leaves 13
Fast grower 11
Browns easily 7
Easy to propagate 1
03/15/2022
it loves high moisture, if you have a room
that is wet humidity wise, it will love it there. I keep mine in my bedroom
which is high humidity.
Survivor
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
02/22/2022
They grow on average 2 ft a year
Fast grower
01/03/2022
It is a very showy plant in all seasons Christmas Easter and fall
Large, lush leaves
12/03/2021
They love to be misted gently every few days. They are almost like an air plant I water less than recommended on watering days but keep up the gently misting about once a week.
Fast grower
11/30/2021
Amazing plant that requires less care but stills survives.
Large, lush leaves
11/22/2021
Apparently the Norfolk Island Pine does not agree with temperatures below 35F which ruins my plans on transplanting it outside to stay eventually, as the plant won’t survive the winters here.
Easy to propagate
Browns easily
10/27/2021
My first plant, I water it every two weeks and it grows.
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
10/12/2021
Moved from Indiana to Colorado. I think the dryness here hasn’t been very kind to him. Dried out and crispy needles. Seems to keep growing though
Browns easily
Survivor
06/14/2021
It has the really nice look of a pine plant but does well in warmer weather! Its a great year round plant to have!
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
06/12/2021
Apparently animals don’t recognize this as food and leave it alone - that is certainly the case here. They do love to hide in it and pretend they are forest panthers instead of house panthers.
Also, this is lovely to pet.
06/06/2021
Super fast growing in the spring/summer, and pretty carefree. Interesting texture compared to other common houseplants.
Fast grower
05/17/2021
Not a Pine Tree! It’s a tropical plant so keep warm and humid instead.
Survivor
Browns easily
05/17/2021
Easy to maintain
Fast grower
04/28/2021
You need high humidity
Browns easily
03/11/2021
Slow growing
02/20/2021
Great plant make sure you have high humidity or you’ll deal with curling and crispy pine needles. Great for when you want a more forest-y look over the jungle look!
Fast grower
02/13/2021
the leaves on this bad boy are a really pretty deep green and i love it they’re also pretty soft to touch, i can not water my plant for like a week past when i should and it’s still alive and as hearty as ever. if it doesn’t get enough sun or enough water however it’s leaves will turn crunchy which isn’t the best thing in the world.
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
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