Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Araucariaceae
Botanical Name
Araucaria columnaris
Plant Common Name
Cook Pine, New Caledonia Pine
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
The Cook pine is a cone-bearing evergreen tree native to New Caledonia, just east of Australia. It is a large, tall, upright, elegant tree with whorled branches and dark green, needle-type foliage. The little scale-like needles are prickly and linear, densely arranged in flexible, caterpillar-like fingers upon the lateral branches. At the tree's tip, the newest branch growth is a rounded tuft, and the older branches often are dropped and rejuvenated with shorter ones, creating a more obvious columnar habit. It produces cones that are either male or female, but appearing on the same tree but at different locations.
Cook pine does best in full sun exposures in a well drained soil. It is quite tolerant along salty beaches and of a wide range of soil pH, quite often used as a street tree, focal plant or beach row windbreak. Plant it in a spacious location as it towers skyward and will drop branches as a means to survive an intense windstorm. Members of the Araucaria can sprout new horizontal branches from their trunks, which is rare for a mature conifer tree. It may be grown as a houseplant when young, in fact, often times it is mislabeled as Norfolk Island pine (A. heterophylla) and sold as a small living Christmas tree. Do not position this tree near building foundations! As this plant is typically too large for the small urban yard, it should be avoided. However, plants can be cut down and allowed to regrow from the base and then pruned back every few years to keep it much smaller and less intimidating, even multi-stemmed.
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought, Salt, Soil Compaction
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Upright/Erect
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Flower Color
Green
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Fruit Color
Green, Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Dark Green
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Bark Color
Brown
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
Yes
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
