Species · genus Araucaria · Araucariaceae

New Caledonia Pine

Araucaria columnaris (J.R.Forst.) Hook.

Also known as: Cook Pine · Coral Reef Araucaria · Columnar Araucaria · Cook's Pine · Cook Araucaria

Growth habit

tree

Native range

New Caledonia

Araucaria columnaris — reference photo — Uvtarex · CC0

Cultivars of A. columnaris

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under A. columnaris yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A New Caledonian conifer

Araucaria columnaris, known commonly as the New Caledonian pine, is an evergreen conifer tree in the family Araucariaceae. It is grown both in its native range and further afield for ornamental and practical purposes.

Source: Kew

Native to New Caledonia

This species is native to the southeastern part of New Caledonia, including the Loyalty Islands, where it grows chiefly in wet tropical forest. It has since been introduced to a scattering of other places, among them Ascension Island, the Comoros, Sicily, and several Pacific island groups. Locally it has long served people as a source of food and medicine, alongside broader environmental uses.

Source: Kew

Whorled branches, spiral leaves

As with other Araucaria, this tree carries whorled branches set with leaves arranged spirally, which can be needle-like, triangular, or scale-like depending on their position. Male and female cones are typically small and large respectively, and usually appear on separate trees.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–29 °C

Soil mix

Free-draining sandy loam

Propagation

Fresh seed

Fertilizing

Light balanced feed a few times through the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Does not flower indoors; grown for its columnar habit

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow New Caledonia Pine yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.