Norfolk Island pine
Araucaria heterophylla · Araucariaceae
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is a perennial tree in the Araucariaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 35°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 50 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.6–7.8 USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4.6 to 7.8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 50 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows quickly.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 34 to 157 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated medium. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Antilles calophyllum Calophyllum antillanum
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ARHE12, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fire tolerance, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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