Araucaria heterophylla, commonly known as Norfolk Island pine, is a species of conifer that is endemic to Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia. The tree can grow up to 50-65 meters tall with straight vertical trunks and symmetrical branches, even in the face of incessant onshore winds that can contort most other species. The tree is slow-growing and has a gray-brown bark that falls off in fine scales. The branchlets are four to seven in regular whorls. The young leaves are soft and awl-shaped, while the adult leaves are scale-like, densely arranged, and bright dark green. The tree is sometimes called a star pine, Polynesian pine, triangle tree or living Christmas tree, due to its symmetrical shape as a sapling.
Here are the step-by-step instructions to grow and care for Araucaria heterophylla: