Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) care

Trees · needs attention to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) wants bright light, with some direct sun. Water it weekly. Water when the top few centimetres are dry, thoroughly, and empty the saucer. Less in winter, but never let the pot dry right out. Pot it in free-draining compost with grit or perlite. A balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer, and repot every 2 years. Humidity: above 50%; dry winter heat browns the needles. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The Norfolk Island pine: not a true pine but a conifer from a small Pacific island, with soft, tiered branches of short needles. Sold everywhere as a living Christmas tree, it will grow for decades indoors in a bright, cool room — but it loses lower branches in the dark, and they never grow back.

Quick facts

Water: Water weekly. Water when the top few centimetres are dry, thoroughly, and empty the saucer. Less in winter, but never let the pot dry right out.
Light: Bright light, with some direct sun.
Humidity: Above 50%; dry winter heat browns the needles.
Soil: Free-draining compost with grit or perlite.
Feeding: A balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer.
Repotting: Repot every 2 years.
Toxic to pets: Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Australian Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Needs attention.
Mature size: 1–2 m indoors over many years.
Native to: Norfolk Island, in the South Pacific.

Watering a Norfolk Island pine

Water weekly. Water when the top few centimetres are dry, thoroughly, and empty the saucer. Less in winter, but never let the pot dry right out.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright light, and some direct sun if you have it. A Norfolk Island pine in a dim room drops its lower branches one tier at a time, and they never grow back.

Humidity and temperature

Above 50%; dry winter heat browns the needles. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

Ordinary peat-free compost cut with a third grit or perlite. It wants steady moisture, but the roots rot in a mix that stays wet.

Feeding

A balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot every 2 years. Every three or four years, in spring. It grows slowly in a pot and is happy a little tight.

Common problems

Lower branches turning brown and dropping
Not enough light, or the compost dried out.

Fix: Move it into the brightest spot you have and keep the watering steady. Lost branches don't regrow, so it is worth catching early.

Leaves falling off: how to read it on any plant
Needles browning at the tips
Dry air, usually from heating.

Fix: Raise the humidity and keep it away from radiators.

Brown tips and edges: how to read it on any plant
Leaning toward the window
It grows toward the light.

Fix: Turn the pot a quarter turn every week.

Leggy, stretched growth: how to read it on any plant

Propagation

Not practical at home. Cuttings from the side branches root but grow sideways for ever; only the leading shoot makes a tree.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The ASPCA lists Australian Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Norfolk Island pine?

Water weekly as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Araucaria heterophylla. Water when the top few centimetres are dry, thoroughly, and empty the saucer. Less in winter, but never let the pot dry right out. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Norfolk Island pine need?

Bright light, and some direct sun if you have it. A Norfolk Island pine in a dim room drops its lower branches one tier at a time, and they never grow back.

Is Norfolk Island pine toxic to cats and dogs?

Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Australian Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a Norfolk Island pine?