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What kind of pine trees grow in Hawaii?

6 min read

Asked by: Adam Ducrepin

But most of the so-called Norfolk Island pines around Hawaii are really Cook pines.

  • Cook Pines.
  • Also called columnar araucaria, this commonly planted tree is known to scientists as Araucaria columnaris (or sometimes Araucaria cookii).

What are the trees in Hawaii that look like pine trees?

Often confused with the Norfolk Island pine trees, the tall, green pine trees on Kauai are actually the Cook Pine trees. These trees have become a native landmark in Hawaii and is one of the most common and widespread trees of its species.

Do Norfolk pines grow in Hawaii?

This tree is present on all islands, commonly known as “Norfolk-Island-pine” in Hawaii (see below). It may be seen above St. Louis Heights in Honolulu, at Schofield Barracks, and in Waiahole Valley on Oahu, at Lanai City, at Mahinahina near Lahaina, Maui, and at many other locations.

Is Cook pine the same as Norfolk pine?

Norfolks are a lot less pointy at the top than Cooks. The bark is one of the key differences in these two trees. The Cook pine has flaky bark that peals off in small rolls. The Norfolk only has a slight amount of flaking on a much smaller scale.

Why are pine trees in Hawaii?

Pine Comes to Hawaii



This stately conifer was brought into the 50th state to combat erosion and for use as lumber. The tree, which grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, thrives in plantations in Kauai and Molokai and occasionally escapes cultivation.

Are there any pine trees in Hawaii?

Hawaii has no native pines, but many species have been intro- duced as ornamental or potential timber trees. These species have been planted in environments that differ greatly from their natural habitat.

Are pine trees invasive to Hawaii?

Three species – Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) – are particularly invasive. They persistently threaten Haleakalā National Park and The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve, transforming native stands into pine forests.

What does a Norfolk pine look like?

It has a very straight trunk and pleasingly symmetrical branches covered with short, inward-curving needles, also called leaves. In other regions, the slow-growing Norfolk Island pine is often grown as a living Christmas tree, frequently decorated with ribbons or ornaments.

How are Norfolk Island pine trees different than other pine trees?

The Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is another option for having a live Christmas tree during the holiday season. This tree is quite different from a typical pine in the Iowa landscape. It is a tropical plant, and must remain indoors during the winter months.

What kind of pine trees grow in Maui?

Cook Pine is the most common and widespread Araucaria species in Hawaii. These trees are commonly cultivated and have become naturalized in some areas as well.

Are there conifers in Hawaii?

The introduced species described include 13 species of eucalypts (Eucalyptus), 5 species of pines (Pinus), and 11 other conifers. Two plant families are well represented, the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), with 25 species, and the legume family (Leguminosae), with 15.

Who brought pine trees to Hawaii?

Captain James Cook

For the uninitiated, Captain James Cook was a British explorer, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy, who, on one of his voyages in the 1770s, came across the archipelago now named after him (Cooks Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean, and saw the pines there.

Do cedar trees grow in Hawaii?

The Bermuda cedar is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree outside of Bermuda, and may have become naturalised on Hawaii and Saint Helena. It is reported that more than 6,500 of them were planted in Hawaii between 1921 and 1953, and that it has established wild populations there.

What kind of pine trees are in Kapalua?

It was Fleming who planted the majestic Cook and Norfolk pines along Kapalua’s roads. In 1912, Fleming and H.P. Baldwin’s son, Harry, planted the first 20 acres of pineapple fields.

What is a Nishi pine?

Norfolk Island pine trees (Araucaria heterophylla) are commonly used as those cute little houseplant Christmas trees that you can buy around the holidays, but then the holidays end and you are left with a seasonally dated, living plant.

What does a Japanese black pine look like?

Unlike most conifers, the buds are prominent—one-half to three quarters of an inch long and silvery white, forming an attractive contrast with the dark green needles.



Rugged Irregularly Shaped Pine Tree With High Salt Tolerance.

Botanical Name Pinus thunbergii
Mature Size 15 to 50 feet height, 20 to 35 feet width

What does a Japanese pine tree look like?

The Japanese Pine Tree (Pinus thunbergii), also known as black pine, is native to Japan and South Korea. It’s a beautiful conifer with dark black trunks and lovely sculptable branches. It’s a popular garden tree in its native Japan and is often used for bonsai as well as natural plantings.

How can you tell a Japanese black pine?

Japanese black pine has a striking, irregular form accented by its dark, lustrous green needles. This Asian native is very tolerant of salt spray and soil salt, but It may be difficult to find in nurseries.

What is the difference between black pine and white pine?

Black pine needles are bright grass green in color vs. slightly blue-green for white pines. White pine needles are usually soft if you press against the tip of the needle. Black pine needles start off soft in spring and become very sharp in summer.

How big does Japanese black pine get?

80 to 100 feet

Grows 80 to 100 feet in height in the right conditions, but usually much shorter in gardens.

Where do black pines grow?

Pinus thunbergii (syn: Pinus thunbergiana), also called black pine, Japanese black pine, and Japanese pine, is a pine tree native to coastal areas of Japan (Kyūshū, Shikoku and Honshū) and South Korea.

Why is it called Black Pine?

The “black” ascribed to the common name is descriptive, for it is a somber tree. It produces stiff, 4-inch long dark green needles that crowd the stem producing a bottle-brush arrangement on the branches. The tree is a two-needle pine.

Is Japanese black pine invasive?

Japanese black pine is, true to its name, native to Japan and China. It produces whitish buds . Its growth shape can be somewhat irregular, making it less popular for planting; and when it does escape the garden, it has shown some tendency to be invasive .

Is Japanese black pine fast growing?

Growth rate can be as great as four feet per year. Irrigation may be required during the establishment period, after that they readily adapt to all but extreme soil moisture levels. This species tolerates wind, heat and drought.

How long does it take for a Japanese black pine to grow?

Shohin trees can be grown from seed in 10 years with good branching, medium size trees will take 10-15 and larger trees will take 20 years or more.

How big does a Japanese white pine get?

We no longer grow this plant

Botanical Pronunciation PY-nus par-VEE-flor-uh GLAW-kuh
Average Size at Maturity Slow grower to 20 to 40 ft. tall, 10 to 20 ft. wide in 10 years.
Bloom Time Conifer; prized for foliage.