Tree · Araucariaceae
Norfolk Island Pine
Araucaria heterophylla
Give it bright light, cool air, and steady moisture, and this living conifer keeps its tidy tiers indoors all year.
Bright indirect
55–64°F · 13–18°C
USDA 9–11
3–6 ft · 0.9–1.8 m
Overview
The Norfolk Island pine is a living conifer that brings the look of a feathery, tiered evergreen indoors. It comes from Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, where it grows into a towering tree, but in a pot it stays a manageable 3 to 6 feet (about 91 to 183 cm) tall. Many people keep one as a small, living alternative to a cut Christmas tree.
Look closely and you'll see it isn't a pine at all. It belongs to the genus Araucaria, an ancient Southern Hemisphere conifer family far older than the true pines it resembles. The soft, needle-like branches grow in neat, even whorls around a single upright leader, and that orderly, layered shape is the whole reason to grow one.
It rewards a cool, bright spot and a steady hand with the watering can. The catch is that the plant grows slowly and won't replace anything it loses, so a branch that browns and drops or a leader that gets cut leaves a permanent gap. Get the light, the humidity, and the watering right, and it holds its form for years.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, cool rooms around 55°F to 64°F (13°C to 18°C), and soil kept evenly moist in the growing season but drier in winter. Give it humidity, never let it stand in water, and leave the central leader alone.
Light
Give it bright, indirect light, ideally near a sunny window where the direct rays are softened. It can take some full sun, but a little afternoon shade keeps the foliage from bleaching, and a dim corner slowly thins the lower branches.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist from spring through autumn, then ease off through winter. Let the top of the soil start to dry between drinks, and never leave the pot sitting in water. Use the feel of the soil and the firmness of the foliage as your guide rather than a set schedule.
Soil
Plant in a fertile, porous mix with plenty of sand and peat, on the slightly acidic side. The key is sharp drainage, since this conifer rots in soil that stays soggy.
Temperature
Cool rooms suit it best, ideally between 55°F and 64°F (13°C to 18°C). Keep it well clear of heat vents, and don't let it sit below 50°F (10°C) in winter.
Humidity
Average household humidity works, but dry, heated air is its main enemy indoors. In a heated room, mist the foliage or set the pot near other plants to lift the moisture around it.
Feeding
Feed with a dilute liquid fertilizer through spring and summer, roughly every week or two. Hold off in winter, when the plant is barely growing and has little use for it.
Pruning
This is a plant you mostly leave alone. Never top it or cut the central leader, because that wrecks the whorled shape and the plant won't grow a new one. Limit yourself to removing dead or damaged lower branches.
Repotting
Repot only every 2 to 4 years, once it's clearly potbound. It actually prefers being a little rootbound and resents being disturbed, so don't rush to move it up a size.
Size & spacing
Indoors it reaches 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) tall with a spread of about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm). Give it room on all sides so the tiers can spread evenly and stay symmetrical.
Troubleshooting
Most trouble with a Norfolk Island pine traces back to the air and the watering, and it shows up first on the lower branches. Read the early signs and you can step in before a bare patch becomes permanent. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Wilting plant with soggy soil and soft roots
Wilting that comes with wet soil usually means root rot from overwatering or a pot that won't drain, sometimes the mushroom root rot fungus. Cut back on water at once, empty any saucer so the pot never stands in water, and repot into a porous mix if the roots have already gone soft and dark. Caught late, this one can kill the plant.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency
- Ensure pot drains freely and empty saucers
- Repot into porous, well-drained mix if rot is present
Sticky black film or fine webbing on the foliage
A sticky coating with a black film points to scale insects, whose honeydew feeds the sooty mold. Fine stippling and webbing instead point to spider mites, which thrive in hot, dry rooms. Wipe the foliage clean, treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap, and lift the humidity to keep mites from coming back.
Fix:
- Wipe or wash foliage
- Treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
- Increase humidity to discourage mites
Lower branches browning and dropping from the bottom up
Bare lower tiers almost always mean dry, heated indoor air, and the problem worsens after a plant has spent two or three years in a dim corner. Move it to a bright, cool room and raise the humidity around it. Once a tier of branches drops, it won't grow back, so act early to keep the shape full.
Fix:
- Move to a bright, cool room with indirect light
- Mist foliage or raise ambient humidity in heated rooms
- Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged
Toxicity
This plant is a mild concern at most. The ASPCA and NC State both list it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, but the sap can still give a pet that chews it an upset stomach or a little skin irritation. People are essentially safe, so the main job is keeping a determined chewer away from the foliage.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs
Safe for
People · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Mild
A cat that chews the needle-like foliage may drool, throw up, or go off its food for a while, and the sap can leave the mouth or skin a little irritated. The trouble is usually mild and passes on its own, but keep a young plant out of reach of a determined chewer.
Dogs Mild
Dogs that nibble the branches can get an upset stomach, with some drooling or vomiting, and the sticky sap may irritate the skin around the muzzle. Nothing here is dangerous in the amounts a pet would take, but it's worth steering a curious dog away from the lower tiers.
Horses None
Listed non-toxic to horses by the ASPCA and NC State Extension, and this is an indoor plant a horse is unlikely to meet.
Rabbits Safe
No toxic principle is reported for rabbits, and the stiff, resinous foliage holds little appeal as a browse.
Livestock Safe
Nothing in this species is flagged as a livestock poison, and as a potted houseplant it stays well clear of grazing animals.
Birds Safe
Pet birds are not known to react to the foliage, though the resin can leave a tacky mess on feathers if a bird perches and pecks at it.
People Safe
The plant is essentially safe around people and nothing on it is grown to eat. The sap may leave sensitive skin a touch itchy, so rinse your hands after pruning.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
There aren't named cultivars to choose between here, but one old botanical name still follows this plant around the houseplant trade.
Araucaria excelsa (former name)
This older synonym still turns up on plant labels and in the houseplant trade, but it names the very same species sold today as Araucaria heterophylla.
How to propagate
A Norfolk Island pine is far easier to buy than to multiply, and the shape of any new plant depends entirely on which growth you start from.
SeedModerate
Sow when fresh in moist, sandy, peaty soil · Several weeks to germinate; slow to develop into a sizeable plant
Seed is the main way to raise this plant. Sow it fresh in a moist, sandy, peaty mix, and expect several weeks before it sprouts and a good while longer before it grows into anything sizeable. The reward for the wait is a plant with the proper upright leader and the even, whorled tiers the species is known for.
Stem cuttingsDemanding
From terminal (leader) growth · Slow and unreliable
Cuttings work only if you take them from the upright leader tip, and even then rooting is slow and unreliable. A cutting from a side branch will root but always grows sideways into a lopsided, distorted plant, so it never makes a good replacement for a seedling.
Myths
The Norfolk Island pine is a true pine.
Despite the needle-like branches, it sits in the genus Araucaria, family Araucariaceae, not in Pinus at all. It is an ancient Southern Hemisphere conifer native to Norfolk Island, far older than the true pines it resembles. The pine in its name is a looks-alike, not a relative.
The Norfolk Island pine is dangerously toxic to cats and dogs.
The ASPCA lists Araucaria heterophylla, under its 'Australian Pine' entry, as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and NC State agrees, so the widespread toxic label is a misconception. In practice the risk is mild, since a pet that chews the foliage may get an upset stomach or a little skin irritation from the sap, and nothing worse.