Norfolk Island Pine Tree Guide: 8 Tips for Care and Growth

Norfolk Island pine trees (Araucaria heterophylla) are year-round evergreen conifers that aren’t true pine trees, despite their uncanny resemblance. Although the name suggests they might be found on snowy hillsides, these pines are actually tropical trees, hailing from the same South Pacific region that’s home to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.

Possessing resilient, straight trunks sprouting branches clad in scale-like leaves, the Norfolk Island pines’ native habitat in the Southern hemisphere leaves them hungry for the same climatic conditions as other surprising Christmas tree candidates—like South America’s Christmas cactus and monkey puzzle tree. Norfolk Island pines love high humidity and bright light.

These remarkable, adaptive plants can be kept as indoor trees well beyond the holidays, but they’re more than comfortable reaching greater heights outdoors. Belonging to the Araucariaceae tree family, these conifers routinely grow upward of a hundred feet in their homeland, where they sit basking in the full sun of the tropics. Even in humid, sunny areas, such as Florida and Hawaii in the US, Norfolk Island pine trees can grow to be several stories tall.

Norfolk Island pines are low-maintenance, but their growth and upkeep still require the same tender love and care you would show to your other plants. Consider these tips once you decide to bring their year-round yuletide spirit into your home or garden:

1. 1. Prepare a pot or plot. Norfolk Island pines can grow indoors as a potted plant or outdoors in your garden. If you’d like to keep these as indoor trees, you’ll need the right potting soil. A peat moss potting mix is a good start. You’ll also want substantial drainage holes at the bottom of the pot you choose, as these plants need moisture, but not too much of it. If you choose to plant the tree outside, consult the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to see if it can withstand a winter in your area.
2. 2. Give them light and moisture. Mimicking the sunny, humid climate of their native habitat is essential to ensure the Norfolk Island pine flourishes, as is making sure they receive enough light. Bright, indirect light is your go-to option, as too much direct sunlight can harm the trees. Put your tree near a south-facing window if possible. As for humidity, consider buying a humidifier if you think misting your plants regularly may slip your mind more often than not.
3. 3. Take care of the roots. Norfolk Island pines are susceptible to root rot. Consider taking a look at the roots of these trees when their leaves start to brown or wilt. You can prevent this by ensuring the soil mixture isn’t too soggy. If it’s too late and the problem has already presented itself, remove the clumpy, rotten roots and then rinse and repot the remainder of the root system in a more moderately damp environment.
4. 4. Fertilize appropriately. Fertilizing these pines should be lower on the list of your concerns. You’ll only need to provide them with the extra boost of fertilization about half as often as you would with other plants. Doing so every season or so will help keep your trees healthy but not oversaturated.
5. 5. Fend off pests. These trees are susceptible to some of the same insect assailants as any of the other plants in your home or garden. Prevent the advent of aphids, mealybugs, and the like through the use of a pesticide.
6. 6. Mind their height. If kept as a houseplant, you’ll have to keep in mind your young Norfolk Island pines want to grow—and very high, for that matter. While these tropical plants are slow growers, if the tree begins reaching heights beyond what you’re comfortable with, think about pruning it.
7. 7. Prune if you please. The pruning process consists of cutting the tree down to a desirable height, discarding the top portion, and allowing it to grow again from that point. Consider trimming the upper branches at this point and leaving the lower branches intact for a more natural look.
8. 8. Consider propagation. Propagation of Norfolk Island pines is possible through planting the seeds or through cuttings. Seeds are most easily obtained by direct purchase rather than from the tree itself. Cuttings must be taken from the tree’s erect center—if you cut off a branch and replant it, the tree won’t propagate. Follow the usual repotting process you would with any other cutting after that point, minding the soil mixture needs of the Norfolk Island pine.

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