Norfolk Island pine care guide

Stores sell the Norfolk Island pine as a living Christmas tree. After the holidays it can stay a houseplant for years. It is not a true pine. It comes from a small, frost-free island in the Pacific, so it cannot live outside in a Canadian winter.

Living Christmas tree tips

Decorate it with light ornaments and LED lights, which stay cool. Heavy ornaments bend the soft branches.

Keep it away from the fireplace and heat vents. Water it on schedule, even when it is covered in tinsel.

Many stores plant three or four small trees in one pot. They look like one full tree. Leave them together. Pulling them apart tears the roots.

Some trees come sprayed with glitter or paint. The coated needles will not turn green again, but new growth comes in green.

Light

Give it bright, indirect light. A spot near an east or west window works. A few hours of gentle sun is fine.

In low light, the branches droop and lower branches drop.

Turn the pot a quarter turn every week. It leans toward the window and grows lopsided if you do not.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 3 cm (1 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer.

Do not let it dry out all the way, and do not let it sit in water. Both turn the lower branches brown. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use any well-draining houseplant mix. It grows slow and does fine in the same pot for two to four years. Repot in spring, one pot size up. Use a heavy pot so a tall tree does not tip. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

This is the hard part in a cold climate. Furnace heat makes indoor air dry in winter, and dry air browns the branch tips.

Keep it away from heat vents. Group it with other plants, or run a humidifier nearby. A tray of wet pebbles under the pot helps a little.

Keep it between 16 and 24°C (60 and 75°F), and above 10°C (50°F). Keep it away from cold, drafty doors.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Do not feed it in fall or winter.

Pruning

Never cut the top. The tree will not grow a new one.

It is normal for the lowest branches to die off as the tree ages. Cut dead branches off flush with the trunk. Trim brown tips with clean scissors if they bother you.

Summer outside

It can spend summer outdoors once nights stay above 10°C (50°F). Start it in shade so the needles do not burn, and bring it in before fall nights drop below 10°C (50°F).

Propagation

A Norfolk Island pine is hard to grow from cuttings at home. Only a cutting from the top grows into an upright tree. A cutting from a side branch roots, but it keeps growing sideways like a branch.

Most new trees come from seed.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Brown, crispy branch tips	Dry air or dry soil
Lower branches turn brown and fall	Age, low light, or soil left too wet or too dry
Branches droop	Too little light or water
Tree leans to one side	Not turned often enough
Needles drop after the holidays	Heat vent, cold draft, or a sudden move
Pale new growth	Not enough light or fertilizer

Pests

Spider mites thrive in dry winter air. Look for fine webbing between the needles. Mealybugs and scale can hide along the branches. Rinse the tree in the shower to knock pests off.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists Norfolk Island pine, under the name Australian pine, as non-toxic to cats and dogs. A pet that chews the needles can still get an upset stomach, and a cat can knock over a top-heavy tree. Use a heavy pot.

Varieties

Stores sell one main kind. Some trees sold under the same name are Cook pine, Araucaria columnaris. It grows narrower and tends to lean. The care is the same.

In my house

My Norfolk Island pine does not handle furnace air well at all. Dry winter heat can dry it to a crisp.

I do not decorate mine, but I am sure it would be adorable.

My cats and kids dig in the dirt of my houseplant pots. It is just something that happens.