I am probably wrong, but it reminds me of a Norfolk pine

Ditto

Looks like a NIP to me, aka Araucaria heterophylla

Really, really cool; I didn't know you could keep trees like this as houseplants! It's super soft. Can it be propagated from cuttings? (If that's a silly question, feel free to laugh; I don't know a damn thing about trees.)

Also, does it grow in that odd shape because it's been pruned back to prevent it from getting to, y'know, tree size? That's the thing that stumped me to begin with -- it's not tree shaped at all!

Generally grown from seed but slow. Common in most nurseries though so easy to find in small to large and very large sizes.

Way back in Ornamental Horticulture class in college, I remember being told that Norforlk Island Pines are different from many plants. If a cutting was taken from a branch, it would root, but continue to grow as a branch (not form the star branching). Propagation from the top portion of the main stem was necessary for a tree. I think the tree would grow a new leader from that cut. Probably why seeds are the more common technique.

Such things are due merely to it being a conifer.

No - most conifers will produce a new leader ..... or several co-dominant leaders that would compete (at least with your eye) for dominance. There are several ways to restore the natural symmetry of most AD conifers. Not so with NIPs.

Al

The tree is weird - if you remove or damage the leader, a new one will not form.

I remembered about the branches, but could not recall if the leader would or not. That was 40 years ago! ;)

they are very common houseplants.. and can usually be found rather small ... at bigbox stores ... or wallyworld ... etc .. usually sold around xmas as charlie brown like holiday trees ... when i was a kid.. we decorated ours for years ....

here is what they look like.. properly grown : https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Araucaria+heterophylla&t=ffcm&ia=images&iax=images

one of the few conifers.. trees... that can handle the abuse and lack of light.. indoors ...

if successful at growing them indoors.. the usual problem a decade or so later.. is when it hits the ceiling ... and is wide enough to take up a quarter of the room ....

ken

(OT) Ken, I appreciated but didn't really take much note of your ddg links before...until I followed that images link and saw how good ddg image search was. I'm converted!

Unlike Google, it's private, too.

Al

uBlock keeps most unwanted junk out of my page sessions so I wasn't yet willing to tolerate ddg's worse searches for limited/hidden benefits...but their UI being better than google's is a very convincing win for me!

"No - most conifers will produce a new leader ..... or several co-dominant leaders that would compete (at least with your eye) for dominance."

Mine HAVE produced new leaders or co-dominant leaders..., so I don't quite understand this response.

P.S., I grow this species of Araucaria along with A. araucana and bidwilli.

sometimes it takes a couple search term changes to find good pix ...

of course.. with plants.. the latin REALLY helps ...

one other trick with what i call telephone pole trees .. is to add FOREST after the latin name ... now that really show future potential .. in tree time ... lol ...

but.. in this case.. its an epic fail ... lol ... go figure : https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Araucaria+heterophylla+forest&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

its interesting.. in the pix.. because you can see major differences in growth indoors vs outdoors .... its kind of a weepy side branch indoors.. while in full sun the side branches seem to stand upwards ... im not sure if its different types... or if its the difference in vigor ... one showing tolerance of low indoor light.. versus full sun vigor ...

ken

I have 2 -about 4 ft tall each, they also have "weepy" branches, & do not change when I put them outside for spring, summer & fall. Maybe branches turn more upright as it agesages or in response to salt water in air? Ive read they grow near ocean in NZNZ

Sorry website gives me posting issues, doubles up words or adds words & sintswont let me erase them.

Summers outdoors aren't long enough to change the foliage structure markedly. Also putting them in enough outdoor light that they would start growing like they were outdoors all of them time would cause them to burn after having been growing in indoor light levels.

Also many Norfolk Island pines sold for indoor use are actually Cook pines. So even if planted outdoors and allowed to grow large in a suitable climate area these would never develop the star pine growth habit, with long oar-like level branches.

Ill go out on the limb. Yes Norfolks make new leaders when pruned. To see that you can look to the plants in their natural habitats or have one like i have had thats made one.