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The Living Christmas Tree

By 250 News

-by Jos Van Hage

A beautiful tropical plant that can make an interesting living Christmas tree is the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla). It is a tropical evergreen that grows outdoors in milder climates but in colder climates it makes a good indoor tropical plant. It has  an attractive fir-like appearance with parallel branches and short soft green needles making it an excellent foliage houseplant throughout the year. During the Christmas season, it can have the mini-lights put in it along with decorations.

If you want a Norfolk Island Pine to decorate you should purchase a large floor plant rather than a small one expecting it to grow, as they are a slow growing plant, only growing 3-6 inches a year. 

The fact that they are slow growing makes the little plants excellent for growing in terrariums. 

Norfolk Island Pines grow best in bright indirect light or semi-shade, not direct summer sun. It likes an average humidity, so over the winter when the air becomes very dry, give the plant a misting of water and keep it away from heat vents or other sources of hot, dry heat. Keep plants in a cooler area of the home with day temperatures of 18-20 Celsius and night temperatures of 10-15 Celsius. 

Plants are easy to grow however problems such as leaf drop can arise if the watering is done incorrectly. Allow the top of the soil surface to feel dry to the touch before giving it a thorough watering with room temperature water and then discarding any excess water that may be in the saucer so that the plant is not sitting in water for long periods of time. Over watering the plant will cause the leaves to turn yellow, fall off and under watering will cause the leaves to become dry and fall off so regular watering is important to the health and beauty of the plant. Once the lower branches have fallen off, they do not grow back so do not allow the plant to get too dry or become saturated in water.

The plant grows upward by producing new leaves/branches at the top. To keep the symmetrical shape of the plant do not cut off the top of the plant or any of the growing tips. If the plant looks sparse on the bottom due to loss of bottom branches, another plant can be planted in the pot.

A slow growing plant such as the Norfolk Island requires less fertilizer than other faster growing houseplants. Fertilize the plant 3-4 times per year with an all-purpose 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer. It also does not need to be transplanted very often. Perhaps every 3-4 years when the plant becomes root bound it can be placed into a pot one size bigger than the one it is in now.

This time of year the Norfolk Island pine becomes a popular houseplant because of its multi-purpose. If you want a living Christmas tree that is a little different  check out the Norfolk Island pine!

-Jos 

Jos Van Hage owns three Art Knapp's Garden Centres in Prince George
-Highway 97 South at the old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 97 North
-Highway 16 West






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