Norfolk Island Pine
Many people want to have a living Christmas tree in their home for the holidays but are unsure what is the best way to go about it. Although there are companies that will bring you a tree and then pick it up later and replant it, they recommend only having the tree in the house for 7-10 days max (some say 4 days max) or it will have a poor chance of replanting. That’s because the trees they supply are meant to live outdoors, not in your hot dry house. Well, one solution is to use a tree that is suited to the indoors and still makes a fine specimen of a Christmas tree. And that tree is the Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla).
This tree is not actually a pine but does produce small cones. It comes from a small island near New Zealand where the mature trees can reach 200’ or more. This is a tropical to semi-tropical tree and will not withstand the freezing cold of the Midwest and Northeast but will do quite happily in Florida or the Southern California region. They are supremely suited to the interior environment where they can thrive in a high light position preferably by a window. Keep them evenly moist avoiding extreme dry or waterlogged soils. These trees can be kept indoors indefinitely or moved back outside when the holidays have come to a close. Remember, if planted into the ground they can eventually reach great heights, so you may want to keep it in it’s container either indoors or out, until the next season arrives and decorate it all over again.
One thing to remember when decorating a Norfolk Island Pine, the branches are not quite as stiff as a real Pine so try to use lighter weight ornaments (maybe Bows or Origami stars) and mini-lights. Tinsel seems to be a good way to add sparkle without weight, but what ever you do, do not use any flocking on a living tree.
A great alternative to cut or artificial tree, you can find the Norfolk Island Pine at most nurseries for what it might cost for a cut tree.
Even better, unless you are putting lights on the tree, it doesn’t need any flame retardant like a cut tree is legally required to have.
Have a safe and sensible Holidays with the Norfolk Island Pine, the Living Christmas Tree.
-Patrick, Interior Department
Associated Group 