Araucaria heterophylla - Web page Navigation - Norfolk Island Pine, Star Pine Page

Araucaria heterophylla, also known as the Norfolk Island Pine or Star Pine is a tall, straight tree native to Norfolk Island, a small Pacific haven located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
The Norfolk Island Pine, often described as a 'living Christmas tree' due to its symmetrical sapling shape, is beloved for its ornamental purposes. Despite not being a true pine, it carries multiple designations such as star pine, Polynesian pine, and triangle tree. This slow growing tree, reaching up to 200 ft height, showcases straight vertical trunks, symmetrical branches, and a crown adorned with the thickest, scale-like leaves and squat globose cones. Inside, the cones disintegrate to release nut-like edible seeds while the gray-brown bark falls off in delicate scales.
Its name, 'heterophylla', refers to the variation in the leaves between young and adult plants. The Norfolk Island Pine has similarities with the Araucaria columnaris or New Caledonia Pine, however, the branches of the latter grow in an upward curve. An interesting fact: much of the seed in the US comes from hybridization between these two in Hawaii. Despite the differences, for their main purpose in the US as living Christmas trees, it matters very little. Explore the unique world of the Araucaria heterophylla today!