Araucaria heterophylla#

Araucaria heterophylla, 1997, © Markus Duschek

As its common name "Norfolk Island pine" implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean.

The trees grow to a height of 50–65 m, with straight vertical trunks and symmetrical branches, even in the face of strong winds that will contort most other trees.

The distinctive appearance of this tree, with its widely spaced branches and symmetrical, triangular outline, has made it quite popular. When the tree reaches maturity, the shape may become less symmetrical. Despite the implication of the name Norfolk Island pine, it is distributed extensively across coastal areas of the world due to its exotic, pleasing appearance and fairly broad climatic adaptability.

Botanically speaking it is not a pine.