Indoor trees must not be exposed to the scorching sun or dry air from a radiator the temperature should ideally not exceed 22 ☌ (72 ☏). Indoors, the plant needs a bright location with at least 40% but preferably above 60% humidity for good growth. This, and its tolerance of salt and wind, make it ideal for coastal situations. It grows well in deep sand, as long as it receives reliable water when young. Despite the endemic implication of the species name Norfolk Island pine, the species is widely planted as an ornamental tree for its exotic, pleasing appearance and fairly broad climatic adaptability, and now occurs throughout the world in regions with suitable Mediterranean and humid subtropical climate. When the tree reaches maturity, the shape may become less symmetrical. 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. The scientific name heterophylla ("different leaves") derives from the variation in the leaves between young and adult plants. It is a dioecious tree (male and female flowers in different plants), although it can also be monoecious. The seeds have a length of 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1 + 1⁄ 8 in) and a diameter of about 1.2 cm ( 1⁄ 2 in) with wide wings. They disintegrate at maturity to release the nut-like edible seeds. The cones are squat globose, 10–12 cm (4–5 in) long and 12–14 cm (5–6 in) diameter, and take about 18 months to mature. The thickest, scale-like leaves on coning branches are in the upper crown. The young leaves are soft and awl-shaped, 1–1.5 cm ( 3⁄ 8– 9⁄ 16 in) long, about 1 mm ( 1⁄ 32 in) thick at the base on young trees, and incurved, 5–10 mm ( 3⁄ 16– 13⁄ 32 in) long and variably 2–4 mm ( 3⁄ 32– 5⁄ 32 in) broad on older trees. At the more or less horizontal to sometimes hanging branches, the branches are four to seven in regular whorls. The gray-brown bark falls off in fine scales. If kept indoors, the tree remains smaller. From the straight trunk, it emits its branches almost horizontal or slightly oblique, in number of five, forming floors the plane of each floor is a perfect pentagon. The tree is slow growing and can reach a height of 50–65 m (160–210 ft), with straight vertical trunks and symmetrical branches, even in the face of incessant onshore winds that can contort most other species. The timber is good for woodturning and, together with the similar Cook pine, is extensively used by Hawaii artisans. Although the plywood companies reported excellent results, the industry was deemed not sustainable by the Norfolk Island Advisory Council, which decided to reserve timber production for local use. In the late 1950s, a trial shipment of Norfolk pine logs was sent to plywood manufacturers in Sydney, New South Wales, with the hope of developing a timber export industry on Norfolk Island. However, when the island was occupied in 1788 by convicts transported from Britain, it was found that Norfolk Island pine trees were not resilient enough for such use and the idea was abandoned. In 1774, on his second voyage to the South Pacific in HMS Resolution, Cook noted the presence of large forests of tall, straight trees that appeared to be suitable for use as masts and yards for sailing ships. The first European known to have sighted Norfolk Island was Captain James Cook. It is sometimes called a star pine, Polynesian pine, triangle tree or living Christmas tree, due to its symmetrical shape as a sapling. Members of Araucaria occur across the South Pacific, especially concentrated in New Caledonia (about 700 km or 430 mi due north of Norfolk Island) where 13 closely related and similar-appearing species are found. It is not a true pine, which belong to the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae, but instead is a member of the genus Araucaria, in the family Araucariaceae, which also contains the monkey-puzzle tree. As its vernacular name Norfolk Island pine (or Norfolk pine) implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia. variegata-alba CarrièreĪraucaria heterophylla (synonym A.
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