Araucaria columnaris

New Caledonia pine
Narrow, dense, conical tree with evergreen cords of rubbery needles. Does well in pots. Easy in the garden, too, tolerates coast. Older trees gently lean south.
height 20–50ft
width 8–18ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Drought, Fog, Pots, Salt, Wind
water
needs		 Moderate
water
info		 This tree should be watered deeply and regularly (when the top couple of inches of soil has dried). Usually this will mean once every week or two during dry weather. A few years after the tree has been planted, once it’s established, you can likely cut back to deep infrequent waterings. Use drippers, emitters a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil.

Often a tree will tap into groundwater and need less watering or none at all, once established.

A great trick for watering street trees is to drill a one-eight inch hole on the bottom edge of a 5-gallon bucket, then set the bucket with the hole aligned next to the tree and fill the bucket with water. Fill once for a 1-5 gallon plant, fill twice for a 7-15 gallon plant, three times for 25g or larger plants. Propping the bucket up on bricks will help it drain faster, if needed.
hardy
to		 28F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 In or Out
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil, Tolerates Heavy Soil, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose, Low Needs
origin New Caledonia
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 15–H2

Sunset Zones Map

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Naturally grows into a narrow harmonious triangular profile, but must eventually be pruned to maintain size indoors. Tree can be pruned up to accentuate the trunk, but may drip sticky sap immediately afterward.

More Info

This plant has been grown as a houseplant, but it also excels outdoors in mild climates. See Sunset zones if you are interested in growing this plant outside. Also note that anytime a houseplant is moved outside, some transitional stresses should be expected, including burning (when a plant that can and in fact would often prefer to grow in direct sunlight has not been cultivated in direct sun) and also drooping or leaf drop (usually associated with a shift in temperature). Planting outdoors during mild weather will help negate these effects, and if the plant is properly cared for, it should rebound with new acclimated growth.