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Oklahoma Gardening

Can a Northfork Pine survive outside?

11 years ago

I have a small Northfork Pine in a pot that I got around Christmas. Can they survive the Oklahoma year round weather, and if so - when is the best time to move them outside?

Thank you

Featured Answer

helenh

11 years ago

Classy they are an easy houseplant because I had one for years until it took up too much space. I kill all houseplants except succulents. They not only get tall but they get wide and that was my problem with the plant.

Comments (7)

susanlynne48
11 years ago
Unfortunately, the Norfolk Pie is not hardy here in our zone. They are only hardy to zones 10-11, being native to a small island in the South Pacific. In their native habitat they can reach heights of 200'. Wow!

They have an interesting history, and I'm attaching information regarding this lovely houseplant.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Araucaria heterophylla or Norfolk Pine
mulberryknob
11 years ago
They survive outside in Southern California. I saw a very large one--about 2 feet in diameter--in Pasadena when I lived there. It never occured to me at the time that it would be grown as a houseplant, but my daughter started with one a foot tall and now it is over 5 feet. What do people do with them when they outgrow the living room ceiling?
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First, I believe your "pine" is really a cedar (Cedrus species), as best as I can tell from the distance of the photo. And obviously landscaping under it in the traditional sense is not gonna work, which is why nothing grows there now - too large a tree with a too dense root system, lots of surface roots and too much shade. Bark or wood chips may be your best move, with perhaps a few partially imbedded landscape boulders to add interest. Keep the chip or bark mulch pretty light - too thick a layer can smother those roots - 2 inches is plenty and you can always touch up as necessary. With a tree this well-established and mature, you can skip the soakers as well.....that root system is able to access all the moisture the tree needs to survive all but the most prolonged droughts. You are going to have similar issues with the oaks - well-established trees with an aggressive root system. A good shade and drought tolerant groundcover may work (check local nurseries for what they'd recommend for your area), but be careful about too much cultivation under these trees - oaks in particular resent having their roots messed about with. You may decide to mulch directly under the canopies and place the GC at the dripline. With careful selection of a groundcover, it may creep back a bit under the trees on its own.
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Hi It is a member of the Aruaucaria family which pre date pine trees lol There are around 20 species . At one time they were the most common tree but are now limited to western pacific and s. america. They grow very well in s florida in fact to the point of being a weed. they are freeze .low humidity and drought sensitive so you will have difficulty over the long term but then you probably have no desire to get it to the 200 foot level lol?? An interesting side note to the family is they appear to have been the main diet of sauropod dinosaurs.lol Good luck with it suspect that it will decline over time but if you religiously water it and no hard freezes?? gary
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In principle I kind of agree with you about monoculture, and am planting other things. I've also been planting Beach Plum, holly, and paw paw. (OK, the last one is actually not ideal for the site due to wind issues, but I like the idea of a native fruit tree.) However, evergreens serve a useful function as a windbreak and privacy screen in the winter, and I kind of miss the pines that were there when I was a kid. White Pine seem completely unaffected by the local diseases, and and one neighbor is planting them along the property line. Unfortunately, the web says White Pine isn't the ideal tree to withstand wind and salt spray, and I'm a little worried about the dangers of disease and monoculture. I did think of using Blue Spruce or White Spruce instead of pine, but supposedly they are a little less salt tolerant.
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I haven't "planted" it in anything yet....I was just trying to figure out what to do with it so that it would be perennial in my zone without having it spread all over my gardens. If there is a way of containing it out in a garden, that would be fine, but sounds too invasive! I just know that last year we planted a buddlea in a metal cow trough. It was supposed to survive zone 5a, but it died. I read later that putting things in containers makes them LESS hardy (better in the ground!). Maybe I should keep a pot in the unheated garage over the winter & just water it once in awhile, like I do my agastache?):0) Phyl
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susanlynne48
11 years ago
Dorothy, lol, I don't know - build another story onto their house? These pines that really aren't pines at all, can be hardy in South Florida and warmer zones of California and grow very, very tall.

Many of our tropical houseplants grow much larger in their native landscapes. Split-leaf philodendrons, for example, can grow 70' up a tree in its native habitat. They are big houseplants, for sure, but get even bigger where they are allowed to do their own thing, which is climb.

Susan
Pamchesbay
11 years ago
Classy - view your Norfolk Island Pine as a houseplant. You can put it outside in late spring and summer but bring it back inside before winter. Cold weather will kill it.

Dorothy - I've seen huge ones in southern Florida - so big and dramatic, I didn't recognize them as Norfolk Island Pines. Southern CA and southern FL = no freeze zones.
susanlynne48
11 years ago
I bet they are a sight to see! I've been to Florida on several occasions, but before I became interested in anything other than ornamental Begonias (all the types other than the bedding varieties).

They are very pretty houseplants IMHO!

Susan
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
11 years ago
Dorothy, I suppose they either have to give them to someone with a taller ceiling height indoors---or top them, although I think that would spoil their shape.

Dawn

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