Cook’s Pine (Araucaria columnaris)

Family: Araucariaceae
Origin: Southeastern New Caledonia, including the Loyalty Islands; primarily associated with wet tropical environments.
Garden location: 17° 42′ 55.22″ N, 64° 49′ 45.07″ W
ArbNet Level II list: No
POWO Status: Tree
IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

This tall, narrow conifer is Cook’s Pine, Araucaria columnaris. Despite its common name, it is not a true pine. It belongs to the ancient Araucariaceae family, a group of conifers whose ancestors were present during the age of the dinosaurs.

Cook’s Pine is native to New Caledonia and nearby islands in the southwestern Pacific. In its natural habitat, it can grow to around 200 feet tall, although cultivated trees are often smaller. Its scientific name, columnaris, refers to its distinctive column-like shape.

Notice how the trunk grows very straight and the branches are arranged in regular tiers around it. As the tree matures, the lower branches may fall away, leaving a tall trunk topped by a narrow, pointed crown. The small, overlapping leaves are quite different from the long needles we associate with true pines.

One of the most interesting things about Cook’s Pine is its tendency to lean toward the equator when it is grown away from its native range. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, that generally means leaning slightly toward the south. The farther the tree is planted from the equator, the more noticeable that lean may become.

Cook’s Pines reproduce by cones rather than flowers or fruit. Male trees produce elongated pollen cones, while female trees develop much larger, rounded seed cones high in the canopy. When mature, the seed cones break apart and release their seeds rather than falling to the ground as complete cones.

It is an elegant and immediately recognizable tree, valued in tropical and subtropical landscapes for its height, symmetry and narrow silhouette. From a distance, Cook’s Pine can almost look like a living landmark rising above the surrounding vegetation.