Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

Norfolk Island Pine Plant Features

An easy-care houseplant, Norfolk Island pine is a festive holiday plant you can enjoy all year long! During the holidays, its needled branches look right at home decorated as a Christmas tree. After the holidays pass, remove the decorations and enjoy its classic look (and air-purifying powers) anywhere in your home.

Though it's called Norfolk Island pine, it's not a pine at all. Rather, this stately tree is a tropical plant native to the South Pacific. Indoors, it's relatively slow-growing, but over the course of several years, this adorable little plant can grow to 6 feet tall or more.

Small, young Norfolk Island pines are perfect for decorating mantles, tabletops, and desks. As this long-lived houseplant grows, it's becomes better situated as a floor plant and can be used to fill bright corners, flank furniture (such as entertainment centers), or stand alone as a stunning focal point.

If you want to encourage faster growth from your Norfolk Island pine, move it outdoors to a shaded or partly shaded spot during the summer. Because it's a tropical tree, wait until all danger of frost has passed before moving it out, and bring it back in before the first frost in fall.

Norfolk Island pine grows great with poinsettias and Christmas cactus.
Learn how to make your poinsettias last longer!
Discover the history of Norfolk Island pine!
Celebrate the seasons with Norfolk Island pine.

Norfolk Island Pine Questions?
Just drop us an email; our experts will get back to you!

Buy Norfolk Island Pine
Buy a Norfolk Island Pine online and have it shipped fresh from our farm, direct to your door (or to a friend or loved one) from our online plant shop. Or look for Norfolk Island Pines at your favorite retailer. See a list of our in-store and online retailer partners.


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Norfolk Island Pine Growing Instructions

Grow Norfolk Island pine in a medium to bright spot in your home. The less light it gets, the slower it will grow. But avoid very low-light situations. If it doesn't get enough light (natural or artificial), your Norfolk Island pine will be weak, spindly, and unattractive.

Water it enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet. The roots will rot if they stand in water. If the plant stays too dry, the tips of its branches will turn brown and crispy. Fertilize Norfolk Island pine once or twice during spring and summer to keep it growing well. You can fertilize more often if you want your plant to grow faster! 
Note: After the holidays, take your Norfolk Island pine's pot out of the festive foil pot cover (if it has one). Pot covers trap excess moisture around the roots and can cause your plant to suffer rot if it stays too moist.

If you wish to prune your Norfolk Island pine, you can do so at any time of the year.

Like most houseplants, Norfolk Island pine benefits from being repotted every couple of years. Get tips for repotting it and other houseplants.

Note: Norfolk Island pine is not intended for human or animal consumption. 

  • Water

    Medium water needs

  • Light

    Indoors: High light

    Indoors: Low light

    Indoors: Medium light

  • Colors

    Green

  • Special Features

    Purifies the air

    Super-easy to grow

Complement your Norfolk Island Pine

ZZ Plant
ZZ plant is a cinch to grow; it's one of the easiest of all houseplants -- just like Norfolk Island pine. Put these two together for a no-fuss combo.

Fern, Houseplant
Grow ferns, such as Boston fern, with Norfolk Island pine to accent both plants' soft-textured foliage.

Colorful Aglaonema
Red Aglaonema is a bold, easy-care houseplant variegated with colors that look great during the holidays (and after the holiday season, too!).

Q&A

Can I grow my Norfolk Island pine outdoors?
Norfolk Island pine is a tropical plant that can't take freezing temperatures. If you live in Zone 10 or warmer, you can grow it as a stately 40-foot-tall tree (or more!) in your landscape. If you live in a colder Zone, it has to live as a houseplant. (But it does love spending the summers outside, after all danger of frost has passed!)

There are several Norfolk Island pines growing in my pot. Can I separate them?
While it's possible to separate each Norfolk Island pine seedling and grow them as separate plants, we don't recommend it. The process can cause root damage to the plants -- and many folks find young Norfolk Island pines look spindly by themselves. It often takes a couple of years for individual plants to fill out and look lush on their own.

The needles on my Norfolk Island pine are turning brown and dry. What do I do?
Brown needles can mean a couple of things. First, check to make sure your pine is getting the proper amount of water. If it stays too dry, the needles will dry up. But also make sure it's not staying too wet; when the potting mix stays wet for extended periods, the needles will also dry up and die. Also check the relative humidity. If the amount of moisture in the air drops too much, tropical Norfolk Island pine will suffer and show dry needles. Boosting humidity with a pebble tray, small humidifier, or other tactic can help.