Norfolk Pine - Araucaria heterophylla

The Norfolk Pine ( Araucaria heterophylla) is originally native to Norfolk Island (East of Australia in the South Pacific). For more than a hundred years now it has found its way around the temperate zones of the world as an ornamental tree and even as an indoor potted tree. It is however often confused with the Cook Island Pine and a lot of people are not even aware that there are two seperate tree species.

In Spanish this tree species is called the "Pino de Pisos" (Pino means pine and "pisos" is a word for the floors of a multistory building). This name refers to the fact that the branches of the Norfolk pine branch out in a sort of layered fashion with all the ranches of any given layer branching out at exactly the same height. When seen from above the branches form a star shape pattern which is part of its ornamental appreal.

The leaves of the Norfolk pine, like all of the araucarias, are very unique and different. In the image above each branchlet is a long compound leaf with the little barb like protrusions are the leaflets that cover the length of the leave in a spiral pattern. At the end of the branches life cycle the whole leaf-branchlet dries and falls of the tree. These make interestng ornaments as well.

The bark is one of the keys to distinguishing the Norfolk from the Cook pine. The Norfolk is not flaky like the Cook pine but has a sort of rough, bumpy, course sandpaper sort of look.

The image below is the flag of Norfolk Island with the Norfolk pine in the middle.