Plant Care Araucaria Heterophylla

Araucaria Heterophylla

4.4 out of 5 (31 experiences)

Araucaria Heterophylla has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Araucaria Heterophylla has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves

About Araucaria Heterophylla

Norfolk Island Pine is endemic to Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean, east of Sydney, Australia between New Zealand and New Caledonia. It has a graceful pyramidal shape with wide-spaced branches symmetrically arranged in whorled, horizontal tiers around a single straight trunk. In its native habitat, it reaches heights of 200 feet. It grows best in open, full sun locations with ample room for its large size in well-drained soil type.

Taxonomy

Araucaria heterophylla
Araucaria
Araucariaceae
Pinales

Also known as

Norfolk Island Pine, Norfolk Island Pine and Norfolk Pine

How to care for Araucaria Heterophylla

💦 Water

How often to water your Araucaria Heterophylla

Water needs for Araucaria Heterophylla
0.5 cups
every 9

Araucaria Heterophylla needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Araucaria Heterophylla

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Norfolk Island Pine in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Araucaria Heterophylla: 1ft from a window
1ft or less from
a window

Araucaria Heterophylla love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Araucaria Heterophylla does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Araucaria Heterophylla in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Araucaria Heterophylla

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Araucaria Heterophylla: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Araucaria Heterophylla after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #NorfolkIslandPine
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Araucaria Heterophylla is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Norfolk Island Pine →

Common Norfolk Island Pine Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Araucaria Heterophylla prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Norfolk Island Pine Water Frequency →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Araucaria Heterophylla requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Norfolk Island Pine Light Requirements →

Norfolk Island Pine Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Araucaria Heterophylla is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Norfolk Island Pine Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Araucaria Heterophylla doesn’t require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

Norfolk Island Pine Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Araucaria Heterophylla does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!


💩 Fertilizer

Araucaria Heterophylla should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Norfolk Island Pine →


🌎 Native Region

Araucaria Heterophylla is native to South America and Oceania.


🌸 Flowers

Araucaria Heterophylla does not flower.


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Araucaria Heterophylla grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

How and When to Prune Norfolk Island Pine →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Araucaria Heterophylla can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Norfolk Island Pine Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

The seeds of Araucaria Heterophylla can be used to grow new plants! After your plant flowers, any seeds that formed can be collected and germinated in potting soil.

How to Propagate Norfolk Island Pine →


🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Araucaria Heterophylla, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


Care Summary for Araucaria Heterophylla

Araucaria Heterophylla

Araucaria Heterophylla


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Araucaria Heterophylla has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 14
Araucaria Heterophylla has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 12
Araucaria Heterophylla has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 10
Araucaria Heterophylla has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 7
Araucaria Heterophylla has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 1
@plantina91 avatar
@@plantina91
leaf-1 9 Plants
xp 999 XP
globe Eugene, OR
03/15/2022

it loves high moisture, if you have a room
that is wet humidity wise, it will love it there. I keep mine in my bedroom
which is high humidity.

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@emmat avatar
@@emmat
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 89 XP
globe Edmond, OK
02/22/2022

They grow on average 2 ft a year

Fast grower Fast grower
Ellen avatar
@Ellen
leaf-1 18 Plants
xp 1,032 XP
01/03/2022

It is a very showy plant in all seasons Christmas Easter and fall

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Hillary avatar
@Hillary
leaf-1 12 Plants
xp 182 XP
globe Bend, OR
12/03/2021

They love to be misted gently every few days. They are almost like an air plant I water less than recommended on watering days but keep up the gently misting about once a week.

Fast grower Fast grower
Shivani avatar
@Shivani
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 32 XP
globe Jalalabad, Punjab
11/30/2021

Amazing plant that requires less care but stills survives.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Nathaniel avatar
@Nathaniel
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 30 XP
globe Mount Pleasant, NC
11/22/2021

Apparently the Norfolk Island Pine does not agree with temperatures below 35F which ruins my plans on transplanting it outside to stay eventually, as the plant won’t survive the winters here.

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Browns easily Browns easily
Tova avatar
@Tova
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 32 XP
10/27/2021

My first plant, I water it every two weeks and it grows.

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@Knighthawk avatar
@@Knighthawk
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 53 XP
globe Aurora, CO
10/12/2021

Moved from Indiana to Colorado. I think the dryness here hasn’t been very kind to him. Dried out and crispy needles. Seems to keep growing though

Browns easily Browns easily
Survivor Survivor
@melxn avatar
@@melxn
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 176 XP
06/14/2021

It has the really nice look of a pine plant but does well in warmer weather! Its a great year round plant to have!

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
@AnnastasiavonBeaverhausen avatar
@@AnnastasiavonBeaverhausen
leaf-1 24 Plants
xp 2,224 XP
globe Calgary, Alberta
06/12/2021

Apparently animals don’t recognize this as food and leave it alone - that is certainly the case here. They do love to hide in it and pretend they are forest panthers instead of house panthers.

Also, this is lovely to pet.

@jacob avatar
@@jacob
leaf-1 48 Plants
xp 1,538 XP
globe Champaign, IL
06/06/2021

Super fast growing in the spring/summer, and pretty carefree. Interesting texture compared to other common houseplants.

Fast grower Fast grower
@Thelonia avatar
@@Thelonia
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 96 XP
globe New York
05/17/2021

Not a Pine Tree! It’s a tropical plant so keep warm and humid instead.

Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
Ginny avatar
@Ginny
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 36 XP
globe Secaucus, NJ
05/17/2021

Easy to maintain

Fast grower Fast grower
@Starryeyedsky avatar
@@Starryeyedsky
leaf-1 20 Plants
xp 463 XP
04/28/2021

You need high humidity

Browns easily Browns easily
Lorrie avatar
@Lorrie
leaf-1 13 Plants
xp 263 XP
globe Boise, ID
03/11/2021

Slow growing

@mars.is.mad avatar
@@mars.is.mad
leaf-1 40 Plants
xp 4,004 XP
globe Tumwater, WA
02/20/2021

Great plant make sure you have high humidity or you’ll deal with curling and crispy pine needles. Great for when you want a more forest-y look over the jungle look!

Fast grower Fast grower
@shilohandewe avatar
@@shilohandewe
leaf-1 1 Plants
xp 158 XP
globe West Palm Beach, FL
02/13/2021

the leaves on this bad boy are a really pretty deep green and i love it they’re also pretty soft to touch, i can not water my plant for like a week past when i should and it’s still alive and as hearty as ever. if it doesn’t get enough sun or enough water however it’s leaves will turn crunchy which isn’t the best thing in the world.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor

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