Enjoy the Christmas spirit all year round with our Houseplant of the Week, the Norfolk Pine.
But we’ll let you in on a little secret: While they are called “pines” and even look a little like an evergreen tree, they really aren’t pines at all. In fact, in terms of care, they are more like a gardenia or orchard plant than a pine tree.
What does this mean – well, first off, your Norfolk Pine isn’t happy with the cold. So don’t try to plant them outside after the holidays are over. It needs to be indoors, preferably in a south-facing window with a lot of direct sunlight. (It will tolerate bright indirect light too.)
Originally from Norfolk Island off of Australia, it is used to a mild subtropical climate with a lot of rain, so your plant wants its humidity. A pebble tray with water, a room humidifier or a weekly misting will make it a happy plant.
Water your Norfolk Pine when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch. You can fertilize it in the spring and summer with a water soluble fertilizer, but you do not need to feed it in the fall or winter.