Cultivation
The distinctive appearance of this tree, with its widely spaced branches and symmetrical, triangular outline, has made it a popular cultivated species, either as a single tree or in avenues. When the tree reaches maturity, the shape may become less symmetrical. As well as in its native Norfolk Island, it is widely planted in Australia, New Zealand, southern Florida, coastal California, south Texas, Hawaii, coastal Chile, Honduras, South Africa and some cities of Brazil. Many of the "Norfolk Island pines" growing in Hawaii, including their descendants growing as potted ornamentals on the U.S. mainland, are actually Cook pines, the two species having been confused when introduced.
It grows well in deep sand, as long as it receives reliable water when young. This, and its tolerance of salt and wind, makes it ideal for coastal situations.
Young trees are often grown as houseplants in areas where the winters are too cold for them to grow outside (they will not, for example, survive outdoors in most of North America or Europe), and are sometimes used as Christmas trees. It will not survive in areas subject to prolonged cold. However, there is a specimen growing outdoors in the subtropical gardens of Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Isles of Scilly, in the United Kingdom. Large numbers of Norfolk Island Pines are produced in South Florida for the houseplant industry. The bulk of these are shipped to grocery stores, discount retailers and garden centers during November. Many of these are sprayed with a light coating of green paint prior to sale to increase their eye appeal.
Even in Florida, these trees are subject to frost damage and produce multiple stems with weakly attached trunks - in the 2004 hurricane season, many of these trees failed under the 160 km/h winds. As a result some coastal communities (e.g. Vero Beach) prohibit their use as a tree in local landscape plan approvals because of the danger posed by falling trunks.
Some people may experience a strong allergic reaction if they touch the leaves.
Read more about this topic: Araucaria Heterophylla
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