Norfolk Pine
Instead of a Christmas tree some may opt for a Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla)which is usually available in stores before Christmas. It may be sold plain or decorated to serve as an alternate mini Christmas tree for those with little space. Once the holiday is over, the Norfolk pine can double as a patio or long-lasting houseplant.
Norfolk pine, belongs to the ancient genus of evergreen conifers, Araucaria, which includes the newly discovered extinct Wollemi pine. It is hardy in zone 10-11. In the wild this semi-tropical tree can get up to 200 ft. tall and grows a massive straight tree trunk with symmetrical lateral branches that produce an impressive sight in the landscape; but when grown indoors as a potted houseplant the diminutive version usually grows up to 8 ft. tall.
Care
Indoors, provide a cool, bright filtered light, humid environment with temperatures of 60-72F during the day and slightly cooler at night. They prefer a few hours of direct sun but can adapt to bright indirect light. Be sure to rotate the plant to maintain a symmetric shape and keep the plant from leaning over to one side. They also need 50% humidity which can be difficult to provide during the dry heating season in winter. Some ways to increase humidity is to run a humidifier or if possible use a pebble tray filled with water. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry and let the water drain from the bottom. Do not let it stand in water or saturate the soil, over watering will cause bright yellow needles that eventually fall off. Conversely, keeping the plant too dry with low humidity will cause brown tips. Keep it away from heating vents or cold drafts which can dry out the needles.
Feed your plant when it is actively growing (not winter) with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. Feed new, younger plants every 4-6 months and older plants every 3-4 months.
Repot every 3-4 years.
Prune only brown dead lower branches. Do not cut off the growing tips. If the growing top is damaged, it will not be replaced and you will get a misshapen tree.
Pests: Common pests that attack Norfolk pines are spider mites, scale and mealybugs.
Did you know: In nature, Norfolk pine cones take 18 months to mature, then break down. The scales produce edible seeds that Green parrots favor.
No related posts.
Planting Norfolk pine outdoors
I HAVE A NORFOLK PINE INDOORS AND WOULD LIKE TO TRANSPLANT IT OUTDOORS. I LIVE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. HOW DO I DO IT?
I have 4 Norfolk Pines that are currently growing in the same pot and I would like to separate them… any ideas on how to do this safely? I didn’t know if just making sure the soil was moist before trying would be enough. These Pines are still all under 3 – 4 feet tall. Any tips would be appreciated, thanks!
Curlling and drying branches
I HAVE A NORFOLK PINE AND THE BRANCHES ARE CURLING UNDER AND DRYING UP. THEY ARE NOT BROWN BUT ARE FALLING OFF WHEN DISTURBED. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? HOW CAN I PREVENT THIS?
.
Overwatered pine
I inherited a 10′ Norfolk pine and for two years it was fine. About two months ago it slowed drinking and the branches were turning brown and falling off. This week I moved it and discovered – it smells horrid/incredibly rancid! I am draining out the excess water (sopping it up with new clean towels incerted twice/day along the drain pan for two days now) to help it as fast as I can. What is going wrong? And what do I do, I LOVE this plant – I named him “Herman” as in Munster, due to its size.
Thanks for the tip for “Herman” my big Norfolk pine! I let it dry out, repotted with a 3″ layer of pebble on the bottom first (to prevent root rot from coming back) then used Miracle Grow nutrient rich Indoor-plant potting soil, and fed it with “SUPER Thrive” which was recommended by the nursery. Thank you very much…I think he’ll make it now!
We live in Melbourne Australia and are suffering from a very long drought can you advise the root structure of a Norfolk Pine. Are they as deep as they are tall or are they more prostrate.
We are having trouble with our home moving due to the lack of rain and our Norfolk Pine tree is 30 years old and at least 15metres tall… We are trying to establish if this tree could also be doing damage to our structure.
Many thanks Melissa
Browning stems and spider mites
I have had my Norfolk pine since March, and it was doing well until about a month ago. It is in a window that gets hot afternoon sun (unfortunately there is no other window I can move it to) so I began to water it more frequently when I noticed that the soil was drying more quickly. Now the branches are turning brown and falling off. I have cut back on watering but the browning is continuing. I also notice a greyish film starting to cover some of the branches? Is this evidence of spider mites? What can I do to try to save my tree? Thank you.
We live in El Paso, Texas and have kept a Norfolk Pine in our garden room since 1992. It is now a little over 6 feet tall with droopy foliage at the top and a long trunk. As it was a gift when my father died, I’d like to try to save it. Is there a way to air root it and start a new tree and perhaps bonsai it?
Winterover Norfolk pine
I have a large potted Norfolk pine on an outside porch, I live in Ohio and need to put it in my garage for the winter. Should I burlap it? How much should I water it in the winter? Thanks!
I live in Bakersfield California and purchased my first Norfolk Island Palm at the Grocery store, it’s beautiful. I know its hot and dry on the patio even in the shade outdoors. Question is how do I keep it alive in the house all seasons? thank you.
.
I HAVE A GREAT NORFOLK PINE TREE IN MY BACK YARD. IT IS 12 YEARS OLD AND NOW STANDS APPROX 15 MTRS . I LIVE IN THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND IN AUSTRALIA.WE HAVE MANY NORFOLK PINES IN OUR TOWN AND SURROUNDING AREA AND MY QUESTION IS ,WE LIVE IN A CYCLONIC ZONE PLACE AND CAN GET QUIET GUSTY AND WINDY BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A TREE BLOWN OVER YET PLENTY OF OTHER SPIECES OF TREES HAVE .IS THERE ANY REASON FO THIS SUCH AS THEIR ROOT SYSTEM .
Grouping plants
Sadly, my aunt just passed away at Yule and I have been named caretaker of her Norfolk Pine. I have been told that they do not do well when within close proximity to other house plants. I would like to know if this is true and if so, which plants give them grief and how far away is tolerable? Thanks for your help. Ruby Duhamel
Transplant outdoors
Hi ‘ I live on the mid eastern coast of australia and have a healthy 20ft. norfolk pine in my front garden right where I want to put a swimming pool . My daughter would like me to dig it up to transplant to her home. I would like to know the best way to successfully do this I have a small excavator and bob cat at my disposal to use for this project. could you please give me some advice as to how deep/ wide I need to dig to move it with minimal damage.
thanks Joanne.
FROST DAMAGE
I have (had?) a lovely small Norfolk Pine, about 3.5 ft tall with lush green branches. I was in the process of moving, so put it out on the patio for a couple of nights and I know it got too cold. Now the upper 2/3 of the tree is a brownish-gold color, but the needles do not appear dry. I’m sure this is freeze damage — Washington DC — but I’m wondering if it can be saved. It’s inside now. The bottom 1/3 of plant looks pretty good. Will the upper branches fall off eventually or should they be pruned with the hope of saving the rest and possible regrowth. I hate that this happened as it was such a pretty little tree and I want to save it, if at all possible.
Yellow needles
Well, I’m crossing my fingers. I could always just have a “golden Norfolk pine“…is it possible that it would go back to green if it’s NOT frost damage?
I have a 23 year old Norfolk Pine which is about 9 1/2 feet tall. It is very healthy and has lots of new growth. I’m moving and may not be able to take it due to its size and the fact that it may not get proper light. (Yes, I am totally attached to it and want to take it) I have three questions.
1) it’s in a pot that is 17″ in diameter and 15″ tall. If I can keep it, does it need to be repotted (I haved read that they do not mind being root restricted.)
2) I have a chance to take it to be planted in my friend’s yard in Houston, about a four hour drive away. Any suggestions on how to transport it and if it would make it in the heat?
3) If I can get it there, would it survive being transplanted in the Texas summer or should we wait? The yard is pretty shady with filtered light coming through other trees all day.
thank you so much. The ceilings in the new place are high, so I will try to take it. At this point, it would be hard to let go.
Separate multi stems
I have a norfolk pine in a pot – it’s about 2ft high. It has one larger stem and about 3 smaller stems. should I cut off the smaller stems or divide them off somehow to have one larger plant or just leave it like a shrub?
Yellowing needles
I have a small Pine about 3′ tall that was given to me, I keep it indoors. I am noticing some recent yellowing, I have had it 3 weeks and have not watered it yet, the soil still feels wet 1-2 inches from the top. I have misted it though every other day.
Fertilizer
6 YEARS AGO I WAS GIVEN “NORDY” MY NORFOLK PINE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST FERTILIZER FOR IT. 10-6-6? DOES IT NEED AN ACID BASE FERTILIZER?
HI, I HAVE A 5 FT. INDOOR NORFOLK PINE AND IT HAS BEEN HAPPY FOR MANY YEARS. NOW IT HAS NOT GROWN ITS YEARLY NEW LAYER AND HAS LOST ITS LUSTER. THE NEEDLES ARE DULL. THERE ARE VERY SMALL WHITE BUGS CRAWLING AROUND IN THE SOIL. ALSO IT HAS LOST A LOT OF LOWER BRANCHES. ANY IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF BUGS THEY ARE AND HOW I CAN GET RID OF THEM. I DON’T WANT HIM TO DIE, I LOVE MY TREE. THANKYOU!!!!
Hi Kendra
Do the small whitish bugs also fly?
I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY SEEN THEM FLY. THEY LOOK SILVERISH WHITE. VERY TINY AND CRAWLING AROUND. I THINK THAT THEY HAVE WINGS. SORRY THIS IS KINDOF VAGUE BUT THEY ARE VERY HARD TO SEE AND I MOSTLY JUST SEE THE DAMAGE TO MY PLANT. IT USED TO BE VERY SHINY AND GREW A LOT, NOW IT IS VERY DULL AND HASN’T GROWN. THANKYOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. I APPRECIATE IT.
I have a Norfolk Pine that was given to my fiance 7 years ago, small enough to be potted in a coffee cup. It is now close to six foot tall, in a pot about 15″ diam. We put it on the front porch (facing north) in summer, and water maybe once a week-unless it rains, then it gets set off the porch, but never in a severe storm. I just brought it inside today after spraying for possible bugs. I noticed while doing so that there are white spots that look like old paint in some places, and some of them seem to have breaks in the branch under it. Do you have any idea what this might be? Has my spraying taken care of it? This is the first time I’ve noticed anything wrong with this tree–except the sunburn it got about 4 years ago when it got left on the south side while we were gone one day. Also, one of my granddaughters accidentally broke off the top growing tip on one of the two trunks it has–but the trunk is still growing, although not as quickly as the other..I’ve been told I’ll be homeless if I let this tree die. Please help! I live in Iowa, and know I cannot plant it outside, as much as I’d like to. Thanks..
I’ve had my pot-grown Norfolk Island Pine for 15 years; it has a lovely shape but is now getting too tall (9 ft) to bring indoors for the winter without causing the tip of the tree to bend over (it lives in a shady spot outdoors from May to October). We live in central London (England) where the temperature rarely drops below freezing. Is it worth trying to wrap it in clear plastic and leaving it out in a sheltered spot next to the house over the winter? Or is that doomed to failure? We have a large (10 ft) pot-grown Chilean Araucaria which lives in a barrel outdoors unprotected all winter but I know those are more hardy.
I have a mature (40-50′tall) Norfolk Pine in my backyard in Culver City, CA. I am planning to build a breakfast nook and will have to dig a foot or so deep to pour the concrete walls for the crawl space. How near the trunk can I dig? If I cut a large root, will the tree be compromised?
Just wanted to give your readers some info on Lanai City, Hawaii.
This little town in the Pacific has hundreds of mature Norfolk pines that were planted around 1910 so they are getting to be about 100 years old. Here is a link that has a few pictures of some of the trees. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/lanai/html/sites/Lanai_city.html
And a brief history of the person that planted the trees. In a way he was the islands Johnny Apple Seed except he planted pine trees. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jul/08/il/FP707080302.html
They were planted to reduce the winds that cut across the island, collect moisture from the breeze and provide shade to make the town more comfortable, planted on slopes they secured the land from erosian the hills from slipping. Having lived there with the trees I can say they made the town a great place to grow up.
Thanks for the info!
I’ve had two Norfolk Pines for over 6 years. One was overwatered plus there were construction people coming in here working on the apartment. After they left, the plant just drooped horribly. I asked the nursery for help and they thought it was probably due to overwatering. Told me to repot it and add perlite to the soil so it would drain well and dry out faster. plus expose some of the top roots a bit to get some oxygen, as they thought I’d re-planted it a bit too deep. I did, plus mist it every day. It seemed to be getting better, however now the lower leaves are turning brown and brittle. The dirt feels wet to me, plus the needles have brown clumps that look sort of like dirt but it isn’t dirt. Is that a pest of some sort? The top, while droopy is healthy looking with new growth and there is some new growth offshooting from a lower skinny trunk. I love this plant and want it to make it. What can I do? Thank you.
My neighbor and I have 80′ side by side Norfolks and a hillside that may be slightly eroding over the years.We can see roots above the surface. In a high wind, are they in danger of falling over?
Good Day. E-mailing from Central Florida on the West Coast. We have a huge Norfolk Pine in our front yard (between 30′ – 50′. Just recently we had to put in a new drainfield which when they dug it, damaged some of the roots. The tree has developed some brown needles on the lower 1/3 of the tree. Can this species of tree survive root damage? Will it kill the entire tree? Also, kinda of worried about the roots and the new drainfield which runs not even 10′ in front of the tree. Just wondering what we can do as homeowners. THANKS
Hi Donna
Anytime you have some construction around a tree, it may be liable to root damage. If not from cutting & tearing the roots to soil compaction from heavy equipment. Depending on the severerity of damage, the symptoms may be minimal at first but can continue to appear over several years. Because the tree is stressed it will also become susceptible to disease and insect
attack. The best thing you can do for the tree is to provide ideal growing conditions so that it can regrow some of the damaged feeder roots which are usually in the top 6-10 inches. Make sure it gets enough water in dry weather conditons and fertilize with a root stimulant in eary spring.
Hi
My grandfather recently passed and someone sent my family a potted Norfolk pine…well actually it’s four in the same pot; all of them are different sizes. No one in my family has a “green thumb” so partly due to our lack of knowledge and our luck, the big one (around 3 feet) is turning brown. All the sites I’ve looked at say that after it browns it’ll never be reversed. Also, some of the needles are really dry and sharp. Are these signs of dehydration, lack of nutrition, a need to be repotted, a lack of sunlight, or something else? And do I have to cut the brown sections off or will they miraculously recover?
Thanks
Kelly
I rescued a Norfolk Pine from a garbage dumpster about 4 or 5 years ago. It has been living happily at work, since then, and always seemed healthy. It is by a window facing south, and I live in New Jersey, so it is snowing outside right now. I water Norbert (we call him Norbert the Norfolk Pine), once a week. Just the past couple of days I have noticed that the branches are turning a golden brown. They always used to be a bright green. I guess Norbert’s days are soon up. Any advice?
I rescued a Norfolk Pine from a dumpster about 4 or 5 years ago, and brought it to work. I has resided happily next to a front full length window next to a door for all this time. A few days ago, I noticed that the needles that were once bright green, are now starting to turn a golden brown color. Not the same as the few dry tannish brown needles at the bottom of the tree (those are brittle and need to be cut off). These golden brownish needles are not dried out, but definately a peculiar color. I name the tree Norbert the Norfolk Pine. Are Norbert’s days numbered? I water Norbert once a week, just enough that a little comes through the bottom of the pot. Could it be that my boss put the tree in the garage for 2 days on December 17th? Please advise. Thanks!
I have 4 Norfolk Pine trees used to decorate the Church. I have had them about 2 weeks before Christmas and they were doing fine until this week. They are curling and branches are drooping. I am sad about this. The only thing I can see after reading all the coments you have–is that they might be over-watered. Will they come back if I hold off watering for a time. Thanks. God Bless.
I have a huge Norfolk Pine about five feet from my home. It is starting to curve and my husband is afraid it will fall over. Is that possible? It is very healthy and very full. It is about fifty feet , how much bigger will it get?
My Norfork pine is about five feet from my home and is about fifty feet tall. Is there a problem with the root system because it is so close to my home?
.
I have a Norfolk Pine tree that is 6ft tall, it is 30 years old. We have finally moved to our own house and I would like to plant it outside. We live in Louisiana close to Baton Rouge. We do have freezing temps in the winter. Will our tree be okay to plant outside.
I have had a Norfolk pine for about 10 years and it is only about 3 feet tall. The bottom part of the trunk has turned brown but it is still putting out new growth. What is wrong with it and what can I do to save it. Can I make a cutting to reroot it?
Hi Corinne
I’m not sure if there is something wrong with it. Is the browned part a depressed sunken area? You can take a cutting and try to start a new plant.
About a month ago, it was a sunny day outside, so I put our office Norfolk Pine outside to get some sunshine. I wasn’t even thinking that it was probably in the 30s outside that day. 3 days later the needles on the top part of the branches started to turn a golden brown. I realized then (3 days later), that it was probably too cold outside for the tree, and that I had probably killed it. Some of the “fingers” of the branches have since dried up and fallen off, but about half of the tree is still green. Mostly the golden brown color is on the top of the branches and underneath the branches is still green. There is about 2 inches of new growth starting at the top of the trees (I think there are 4 trees in the pot). Do you think this tree(s) has a chance?
Hello! I bought a Norfolk Pine a couple of months ago, at about 10″. It was very green, lush, and full, though on closer inspection it was not one tree, but nine. Recently, eight of the nine have started curling up and turning a duskier green; the ninth stayed bright and of a normal texture (his name is now Happy). Happy was near the edge of the pot, and the rest were crowded together, so I thought repotting them might help, since it was hard to water them equally. They are now three to a pot; however, the only soil I could repot them with was Miracle-Gro Moisture Control. I read that they might become prone to root rot because of this soil; is it something I need to watch out for? I want all nine (even little Tilly, who is only 4″ tall and is rather bent-backed) to survive and hopefully thrive.
Two last comments: After seperating them, I’d noticed that they had been pruned in order to fit nine to a pot. I don’t understand this in the least; in any case, it’s something to look out for when buying one (I’m happy with my special pines). Also, after repotting, I noticed that some of them have very bent trunks (like little Tilly). Is this a problem?
Thank you for your time!
Hi, I have a 4 or 5 year old Norfolk Pine that I need to repot, it is still in the original container. It is about 2 1/2 feet tall, how big should the new pot be? The current one is probably only about 11 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall. Thanks for your help!
I have 3 norfolk pines that are about 15 years old. When I moved to CO from CT about 8 years ago these hardy plants all survived the long drive out in the car and about 3 years after I was here I noticed they were starting to turn brown. A local gardener told me to create a “humidity” tray for the plants. Meaning to fill the saucer with small rocks and keep wet. I have done this religiously for years and now two of the plants have gotten SO big I call them my little monsters.
They got so big in fact that I needed to repot them which I did, however to get one of the plants out of the container I had to cut the roots and am VERY concerned about the effects of this. The repotting was several days ago and all seems to be well but I’m worried that I may have hurt my baby! I actually replanted one of the smaller plants in with the larger and hope this was OK too. I’ve had these plants together for years and they are like a little family so I hope they’ll be OK. Any feedback would be appreciated!
Thank you!
Fungus gnats
My tree has been turning brown and I have checked the water and it seems fine – what I did notice now are small wormlike crawling in the soil – I dumped out the soil but don’t know what to do now. will you please help. This was a Christmas gift. thanks
I have a Norfolk Pine in an 18 inch pot and live in Central New York. He has been very happy in my sunroom but as he’s now about 4.5 ft. tall I moved him to our outside deck 2 weeks ago (morning and afternoon sun which is what he got in the sun room). We had a few very hot days in the 80’s and now it’s been in the 70’s with alot of rain. I only watered every 2 to 3 weeks when he was in the sun room and he was VERY healty! Two days ago I noticed almost all of the branches have brown tips. I don’t want to lose him, please help!!
My mom has a norfolk pine here in Diamondhead, Mississippi and was wondering about transplanting it into the ground? It is about 5 feet tall. Do you recommend this to be done?
I have a beautiful Norfolk Pine, about 15 feet tall, it has been outside in a barrel pot doing fine, but it has grown to the size I can not keep it where it is, it’s too close to the house and must be moved. When we went to move it, we discovered that the roots had broken through the bottom of the barrel and through the brick patio. There are about good size roots and several small roots that have grown into the ground. I am heartsick! I love this tree and don’t want to see it die! I don’t think we could dig out all the roots and it would have to be cut to move it. Is there still a chance it would live? What can I do? Thank you!!!!
I live in south central Pennsylvania. I have three norfolk pines. Two small and one large pine. Yesterday I placed them outside and gave them a good misting-this was long over due since there is very low humidity in my house. My question is-this time of year in Pa the temperature can rise into the low to mid ninties and the humidity is high. Is it ok to place the plants outside during august and september-is there any percautions I must take as to the plants well being
Hi, FYI My brother in New Orlean has a Norfolk in his back garden. The tree has been there for about 10 years and is 20 to 30 ft. tall and beautiful. It was his daughter’s Christmas tree one year. He has a 6-7 ft high wall around the garden. isn’t NO in zone 8?
This tree even survived Katrina.
Hello…I am a little worried about my 30-40′ Norfolk Pine in my front yard that I planted in the ground about 30 years ago. It seems to be thinning out over time as it grows tall…not as green as I’d like, and every summer it gets the yellowing stems that fall off. The branches seem to have new growth though and at the top of the tree I have alot of these round 4-5″ balls(very heavy) and solid that fall off now and then. Squirrels love to eat them!!
It also leans a bit and I’ve always been afraid of it falling..?? Please advise me on these signs and how to save the tree of my life. We live in Venice, CA 90291
I appreciate all of your notes to everyone and any assistance you can send our way!!
Hi William
The 4-5″ balls are seed pods.
Hi What do I do if my dog chewed the bark on my Norfolk if anything. It’s not all the way around and it is still living. But it’s scarred down to the center, the core isn’t touched though. Thanks.
Drying lower branches
I have a Norfolk Pine (approx 6years old),we live near the the coast- Pymouth UK. The pine has been happy in the outside porch and is 6′ high.However, the lower branches have suddenly lost some of their needles the ends are still growing. I am thinking off taking it out of it’s pot and putting it into the garden. Any suggestions,thx.
Is it normal for a Norfolk Island Pine to drip sap from the tips of it’s branches?
Thanks!
I have 16 Norfolk Island pines that have been severely trimmed on one side by the electrical company to avoid hitting on power lines. I believe they will now always look ridiculous is this the case?
Norfolk pine care
But, how much water is too much/too little. I am very new to gardening and I wish to give it the best home I can. Best indoor soil? Leave it be for now, and replant into anything better for it? Best heat conditions? Anything really will be greatly appreciated!
Hello! I have gotten a 2ft Norfolk Pine for Christmas, and as I adore it I want to know the best tips and tricks for taking good care of it. We live in Wyoming, so it is very dry here. I have a morning sun window I can put it by, and I have read most of the tips here (such as the watering and the signs of issues). So pardon me if my questions are silly
Norfolk pine poisonous to cats
I recently got a Norfolk Pine and was wondering if they are poisonous to cats? It seems as if the cat has been sick since bringing it home. I did bring home a poinsetta and another plant (not sure what it is) at the same time so I’m trying to narrow it down to see if it could be one of them.
I received 2 Norfolk Pines recently, one that is fairly small (just over 1 foot) and a little larger one (2 1/2 feet). I’m not a good gardener and really want to keep these. I live in Northest Louisiana – very humid during summer and winters do drop into 20 – 30 F at times. I was told I could plant these outside but after reading about them I don’t think this would be a good idea. What do you think?
Norfolk pine drying out
I bought a norfolk pine right before christmas. I keep it near a window and it doesn’t get direct sunlight and i haven’t watered it very much. it was doing good, and all the sudden the bottom half of the tree is hard and brittle and needles actually stab you when you touch them. they are still green and looks fine, but fall off if you mess with them. now the top half is doing the same thing. what did i do wrong, can i fix it, and what do i do? thanks!
Have two Norfolk Pines in pots with plans on planting them in my outdoor garden.
Read above memo that stated the roots can grow outward beyond the drip line of the plant.
My question is: are these roots invasive to building foundations?
Thank you.
I got a Norfolk Pine for Christmas in 2002 in a little 4″ pot. Gradually as it grew, I re-potted it.
Then I moved the biggest pot outside. (I live in Tampa). Then I planted it in my backyard, near the property line. My new neighbor put up a fence today, and as a result of digging, cut a line of the tree’s roots and he
also cut some of the lower branches. The tree is about 30 feet tall now. Will my poor “Jody” suffer?
Norfolk pine in AZ
I live in Phoenix, AZ where temps are not often below 45, but can go as high as multiple days over 110 degrees in the summer. It is also very dry. I have two norfolk pines in pots, one is doing ok, the other got too dehydrated month or so ago I think and I recently had to cut off all but some underlying branches and the main stalk. It is still alive, but not sure what else to do to help save it. What is the best thing to do for these plants? Is outside an option? I can keep them watered, but they are never going to get 50% humidity… If I keep them as house plants, I’d like them to share a pot. Thanks, Any advice would be appreciated.
I live in Colorado and I have a little Norfolk pine about 5 inches tall and I was looking at it tonight and I noticed there was some very tiny brownish bugs crawling around on the soil and the rim on the pot. Do you know what those bugs are and how to get rid of them? The tree seems to be doing great. It’s very green and I water it about once a week and I never let it sit in water and I mist it about every one to two days. Please help me get rid of these stupid bugs.
Transplant shock
I purchased a Norfolk Pine this year, It desperately needed transplanting, which I did to a larger pot. Now it’s drooping, looks sad, what can I do for it? Help I want this beautiful tree to grow.
Pruning Norfolk Pine
We have a beautiful Norfolk Pine about 5 feet tall, but from the pot it’s in up about 2 1/2 feet is just bare. Is there a healtly way to cut the trunk & repot so it is fuller?
Frost damage
I live outside Houston Tx and have a Norfolk Pine that had gotten so large in its pot that I (thinking we had mild winters) planted in the ground. We had some 24 degree nights this winter and now most of the needles are turning brown. Is there any possibility of saving it if I put it back in a pot and bring it indoors? If so, should I wait until it warms up some? Wish I had known we would get this crazy winter. Hindsight is always 20/20.
We think someone has poisoned our 2 60′ Norfolk Pines. There is a 1″ diameter hole that has been drilled into both of them and sap is coming out. One tree looks worse than the other (some needles turning brown). On both of them, the tips at the top of the tree are not upright.
This has occurred over 1 year or so before we suspected fowl play.
I am going to seal the holes to stop the sap running out.
Is there anything else I can do?
Thanks
Ron
Winter damage
HELP! My Norfolk pine was given to me as a Christmas present about five years ago. My Dad and I “babied” the pine, acclamating is slowly to the sun and Texas heat. After two years, we planted it in the ground, protected from any north winds. It has done wonderful and have had no problems until this winter. The tree is well over ten feet tall with a trunk of about 4″. This winter we had several heavy frost and a couple slight freezes with the temps recovering to well over 40 degrees during the day. But now all the needles are brown. I know it’s from the frost and not due to lack of water ’cause we’ve had plenty water. I don’t know what to do. The trunk has green needles all over it so I feel certain it is not dead. But what do I do about the limbs and top of tree. Do I prune, top the tree or just leave it alone. Please help!
Thank you Patsy
My 35 metre norfolk pine is about 100 years old and has been poisoned and i think it is nearly dead. Is there anyway I can save it.
Please help.
Sincerely,
Kasei
Black/brown spots on needles
Our Norfolk pine tree is about 6′ tall, about 14 years old. Its done very well and we enjoy it very much. Lately have noticed the very tips of the needles at the end of each branch of needles (not sure how to explain) are turning white then brown, and there are many black spots on them. There are no scales visible and no animals in the soil. We water about 1ce a week, and the tree is in a sunroom/east windows with many other plants. What might the white/brown/black spots be and how to resolve? Thanks.
Pebble tray
I keep seeing pebble tray to help with a dry Norfolk Pine. Can someone explain to me how to do this? I am not familiar with this term. Thanks
Prune Norfolk pine
Hello, my Norfolk pine is 10′ and my celling is 9′. It has lost some of the lower branches. My questions are: 1.can I clip the top, 2. can I transplant it with a smaller one to help it look full again? Thank you.
Wounded Pine
Our norfolk pine seems healthy enough (it is a ‘rescue’ tree – and it’s about 4 years old, about 5′ tall) and resides in a pot on a protected porch. it survived the unseasonably cold winter in houston in the garage. the trunk suddenly has a pretty deep ‘wound’ at the very base. the split is a bit sappy. what should we do to prevent any further damage and repair this? thanks!
browning tree
Hello;
I have a big (35ft) Norfolk Island tree that the buttom pines/branches started to turn brown now it goes all the way to the top. It is huge so I can’t transplant or move, is it dead or can I do something to save it?
I have a Norfolk pine that is about 6 to 7 feet tall. It had been potted for years and outside. Last year I re-landscaped my patio with a pond and waterfalls and decided to plant my tree in the ground. There was plenty of new growth last year but this year the tip of the needles are brown and drooping. It’s on a drip system and gets water twice daily. I’m beginning to think that it was getting to much water and not enough drainage. So today I dug up the tree and dug the hole deeper and fill the bottom with about 6 to 7 inches of pebbles. I then put about 4 inches of Miracle Growth over the pebbles. I then replanted the tree back into the hole. What do you think of the chances of the tree making a come back. Thanks for your help.
It’s a step in the right direction. Norfolk pine need good drainage.
I live in League City Texas, about 20 minute south of Houston, and we have two Norfolks planted in the ground. They were potted about six years and before we replanted them. They are both between fifteen to twenty feet tall. Had a pretty bad winter this last season and both seem to have died. I notice about two weeks ago some new shoots growing off the larger trunks about two feet off the ground. Does it sound like any chance for survival?
I have a Norfolk Pine in my back yard, it is fully grown and extremely old. We have had a lot of rain lately, and I was just wondering if this would make the roots grow more, or would they stop growing once the tree stops?
I bought a Norfolk Pine six months ago. I live in the Yukon and my plant sits in a northwest window and gets many many hours of day light, it is growing a lot, I think that it is time to repot. I was told these plants do not like repotting. My tree is in a 9″ pot right now how big of a pot can I safely move it to.
Leaning Norfolk pine
I have a beautiful 50 – 60′ Norfolk Pine in South Texas, (McAllen). It has started to lean towards our neighbor’s home. It has a lean of about 4′ from center. Should we have it removed.
I live in San Diego and have a healthy 20′ Norfolk pine in the ground that has been pest free for 10 years until I noticed white scale on a few of the lower branches recently. I have two other small trees potted about 50′ away on a deck with some scale also. I have hand washed with a common plant pest spray but they continue to appear. Do you have a any suggestions on what to use to get rid of the white scale? I would be sick if the scale wins out!
I live in Harrisburg Pa. I have a Norfolk pine for 30 years. all of a sudden it has started to loose its needles it turns a lighter shade of green and just falls off. It is 8 ft tall and has not been moved, for over 10 years, other than turning it. what is wrong with it. I repotted it last year now I can not pick it up, it only has 1 more foot till it hit my celing what do I do then.any sugestions? I have hardly have any branched inside now
I live in Trenton Falls, NY. We recently transplanted our 3′ pine to a new location to give it more room. Within 2 weeks, all the needles have turned brown and are falling off. Is there any hope for our little tree?
It is now looking like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!
Hi Laurie
Was this a Norfolk pine? They are not hardy in NY.
Norfolk pine freeze damage
Have a beautiful 20′ Norfolk pine. Living in Houston, had several hard freezes (the pine has survived several in past years). All exposed branches are brown and tree appeared to be dead. Several weeks ago, I noticed green branches sprouting above the dead branches. Now, entire tree seems to have green sprouts directly above the dead brown branches. Top of tree is still brown with no new growth. I know it’s not dead because of the new growth, but what should I do? Cut back the dead branches allowing the new growth? Being 20′ tall, I’d have to hire someone to reach to top. Looking for suggestions