If you like primitive plants and if you have a medium or large garden, I could recommend several species but this time it will be only one: the Araucaria heterophylla. Known as Norfolk pine, it is one of the most impressive and, also, magnificent that you can enjoy in your favorite corner of the home.
The growth rate is slow, something that makes the price high, but you don't have to worry excessively, because it is one of those species that are beautiful from young 🙂.
Origin and characteristics
Our protagonist is a conifer endemic to Norfolk Island, in Australia, which belongs to a genus (Araucaria) originating from the Cretaceous (that is, it began its evolution about 145 million years ago).
His scientific name is Araucaria heterophylla, although it is known more as Norfolk pine, araucaria excelsa, araucaria de flats, pine de flats, or araucaria. It grows to a height of 70 meters, although in cultivation the normal thing is that it stays in 20-30m.
Its branches grow horizontally, staggered, and ovate-triangular leaves emerge from them., about 6mm long by 3-6mm wide, green. Male cones are subglobose, 7,5-12,5cm long by 9-15cm thick, with 3-6mm long winged seeds; and the male ones measure 3,5-5cm.
What are their cares?
Image - Wikimedia / Bertknot from Scarborough, Australia
If you want to have a copy, we recommend you take care of it in the following way:
Location
The Norfolk pine, by its characteristics, It must be outside, in full sun. In order for it to have an excellent development, it must be planted at a distance of 7-10 meters (at least) from paved soils, tall plants, walls, walls, etc.
There are those who have it as an indoor plant, but it does not adapt well to living in these conditions since it needs a lot of (natural) light and to feel the passage of the seasons.
Earth
- Garden: grows in fertile soils, with very good drainage. In the event that the one you have is not like that, first make a hole of at least 50cm x 50cm (ideally 1m x 1m) and fill it with the following mixture: 60% mulch + 30% perlite (or similar substrate, such as arlita, akadama, kiryuzuna, etc.) + 10% worm castings.
- Flower pot: plant with universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts. Anyway, you should know that sooner or later it will have to be planted in the ground.
Irrigation
La Araucaria heterophylla From experience I will tell you that it resists drought well, but not waterlogging. Because, so that no problems arise I advise you to check the humidity of the soil before watering, doing any of these things:
- Introducing a thin wooden stick: This is the most popular home method. You insert it carefully and, when you remove it, you will see if a lot or little soil has adhered to it. If it has been a lot, do not water because it will still be very wet.
- Use a digital moisture meter: as soon as you put it in the ground it will tell you how wet it is.
- Weigh the pot once it is watered and again after a few days: wet soil weighs more than dry soil, so this difference in weight will serve as a guide to know when to water.
Anyway, when in doubt, water about 3 times a week in summer, and every 4-5 days the rest of the year. If you have it in a pot, do not put a plate under it, unless you remember to remove the excess water 20 minutes after watering. Don't wet the leaves, just the dirt.
Subscriber
Guano powder.
It is very important not only to water well and when it touches, but also to fertilize it from time to time. With the compost you will not get it to grow fast - it is not in its genes 🙂 - but it does grow healthy. Thus, it is advisable to pay with ecological fertilizersand guano or compost, once every 15 or 30 days.
Use those that are presented in powder if it is in the garden, or the liquids if, on the contrary, you have it in a pot.
Pruning
Don't need it. Maybe remove dry, diseased or weak branches, but that's it.
Multiplication
Norfolk Pine multiplies by seeds in spring. The way to proceed is as follows:
- First, a pot of about 10,5 cm in diameter is filled with universal growing medium.
- Then, it is watered consciously.
- The seeds are then sown on the surface, and covered with a thin layer of substrate.
- Afterwards, it is watered, this time with a sprayer.
- Finally, the pot is placed outside, in semi-shade.
If all goes well, they will germinate in 3-5 weeks.
Planting or transplanting time
Is planted late winter, when the temperature exceeds 15ºC. If it is potted, transplant every 2 or 3 years.
Rusticity
Resists cold and frost up to -7ºC.
What uses does it have?
Image - Wikimedia / Bob Hall from Christchurch, New Zealand
Apart from being used as an ornamental plant, as isolated specimens, its wood, being hard, white and heavy, is used to make the main masts of sailboats.
What did you think of Araucaria heterophylla?
Beautifull. It looks impressive from afar.
Hi Ernesto.
Certain. She is very, very pretty.
Regards!
I have a magnificent specimen of Araucaria heterophylla. It has grown from a potted plant of about 40 cm. even a tree in my garden of about 40 meters with long branches below, conical upwards at one point. Symmetric in perfection. When my husband and I have planted it in the garden, we have not had the slightest idea that it could grow so much. Now its roots form a threat for a wall on one side and the pool on the other side. It is with such disgust that I have to remove it from there, I do not want to kill the tree, and, if possible, sell it to someone who has a place.
My question is: can you move a tree of this size? And can you indicate (more or less) the value of it?
Hello Veronica.
Phew, 40 meters high is too big a tree to be able to pull it out and make it survive. The roots are very delicate.
Anyway, if you still have no problems, it will be difficult for him to do so from now on, since it is a plant that is already established in the place. It could continue to grow, but at a much slower rate.
Even so, you have the option of putting underground barriers to the roots, making trenches at least 1 meter deep and about the same distance from its trunk, and filling them with cement.
Regards!
Hello, I am from Venezuela and I bought the araucaria from a street vendor who was offering, as soon as I saw the pine I loved it and the man tells me that it was an indoor plant that only added water 2 times a week and I I took it to my office and there the sun does not shine and not a bit of a breeze since it is all closed with air conditioning, the pine began to turn brown after 2 days so I took it out of there and brought it home I investigated more about its care and all the places told me that I could not get sun because it is not a sun plant, so I kept it indoors, today the pine is a little more brown and there are few branches that it has green and as it was in a very small pot I transplanted it to a bigger one…. When I took it out, I realized that it had no root. I would like to know if this is normal if its root is from the same green leaves because I was impressed that it had no root. Could you help me, how could I continue to live?
Hi Jeohalix.
If it has no roots, there is nothing to do.
It is a tree that needs a lot of light, even direct sun. But if they had it in the shade, it is not good to spend it in the sun the first day; First we have to get used to it little by little, exposing it for short periods of time (1, 2 hours) to direct sunlight.
Greetings.
Thanks for the info. I love my araucaria heterophylla, but I would like to keep it small (two meters tall) in a pot.
Loving greetings. 😃
Hi Guadalupe.
That is not possible. The araucaria is a tree that grows much larger, and if it is kept in a pot, it will end up weakening and dying.
I'm sorry to break it to you like this, but it's not good to have a plant whose genetics tell it to be several feet tall, in a container.
Therefore, if you can, I recommend you plant it in the ground as soon as possible, so that it continues to look beautiful and, above all, so that it is healthy.
A greeting!