Araucaria heterophylla

Norfolk pine is an ancient vascular plant in the araucaria or Araucariaceae family along with the monkey puzzle tree (A. araucana). It is endemic to Norfolk Island north of New Zealand but occurs in other areas in the South Pacific and in the Mediterranean area. Norfolk pine also is planted quite widely as an ornamental tree in many sub-tropical areas, growing to a height of up to 60 m.

Young trees also are used extensively as household plants in areas where it is too cold to plant them outside. Check the green plant in your living room or office!

• Leaves are awl-shaped, spirally arranged, 10–15 mm long, curved inward. On coning branches, leaves are thicker, scale-like.
• Species is monoecious. Males are pendant cones 3.5 cm long; female seed cones are egg-shaped, at the ends of branches.
• Fruit is a close to round cone 10–12 cm long and 12–14 cm across, maturing over 18 months, breaking up at maturity.
• Twigs are slender, green, covered with foliage for several years.