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NORFOLK PINE

Araucaria spp.

Araucaria spp. of the family Araucariaceae, including at least Araucaria columnaris (synonyms Araucaria excelsa and Araucaria cookii), Araucaria cunninghamii, Araucaria heterophylla, and Araucaria hunsteinii

Araucaria cunninghamii and Araucaria hunsteinii are also called hoop pine and are included on this page sometimes with that designation

Not actually a pine (genus Pinus) but it is very pine-like and is loosely related to another Araucaria species (Araucaria araucana) which is ALSO most commonly called a pine ("Chilean Pine" aka monkey-puzzle tree). Further, it is also loosely related to parana pine / Araucaria angustifolia. The Norfolk pine group of Araucaris species have noticeably different end grain characteristics than monkey puzzle and parana pine.

Norfolk pine is also commonly called Norfolk Island pine and sometimes Cook pine, it is native to Norfolk Island but also grows in other South Pacific areas including Hawaii. Although I do see this wood from time to time as planks, it mostly shows up as bowl blanks and bowl/vase turnings. It is a favorite among turners because of the extreme figure, with color variations and knots being quite common. It also tends to pick up blue stain quite often and that adds to the figure as well.

A note about Araucaria "pine" species: there are shared common names among these. This list shows how they are used on this site (which I belived to be the most common usage) along with some alternate common names to show some of the possible confusion:
  • monkey puzzle
    • Araucaria araucana = monkey puzzle, monkey puzzle tree, Chilean pine, monkey puzzle pine
  • Norfolk pine
    • Araucaria columnaris = Cook's pine, Norfolk island pine, Norfolk pine, New Caledonia pine
    • Araucaria cunninghamii = monkey puzzle, hoop pine, Moreton bay pine, Norfolk island pine, Queensland pine
    • Araucaria heterophylla = Norfolk island pine, Cook's pine, island pine, Norfolk pine
    • Araucaria hunsteinii (syn. Araucaria klinkii) = klinki pine, hoop pine, Norfolk island pine
    • CLOSELY RELATED: Araucaria bidwillii = monkey puzzle tree, false monkey puzzle tree, bunya pine
  • parana pine
    • Araucaria angustifolia = monkey puzzle tree, Brazilian pine, parana pine
    • Araucaria braziliana = parana pine


my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

NOTE: The Norfolk Island pine that one normally sees, particularly in turned bowls, tends to be heavy in knots and blue stain and has some color variegation and looks nothing like my own samples directly below. BUT ... that's because those kinds of pieces are specifically selected out for turning. I have been assured by sawyers who deal with this wood that my samples ARE representative of the "normal" areas of the wood in a tree.


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk pine / Araucaria heterophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- the end grain pic is a just a tiny bit too red


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above --- note that this is a very obvious case of the fine sanding making a huge difference in the apparent color of the piece. Also, the lines going from upper left to lower right are rays, not scratch marks. There ARE a few sanding scratches on this piece, on the left side and going straight up and down


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk pine / Araucaria heterophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above --- the lines going from upper right to lower left are rays, not scratch marks.


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk pine / Araucaria heterophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk Island pine / Araucaria heterophylla --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk pine (hoop pine) / Araucaria cunninghamii --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Norfolk pine (hoop pine) / Araucaria cunninghamii --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of klinki pine / Araucaria hunsteinii --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of bunya pine / Araucaria bidwillii --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Although this species is not sold as Norfolk pine, it is closely related and has similar face grain and identical end grain characteristics. Since I don't want to do a whole page for this one sample, I've included it here with the Norfolk pine


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


hoop pine veneer with no botanical designation --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Some of the species that use the name hoop pine are also Norfolk pine species.

web pics:


log ends, pic provided by Funktionhouse, whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain


cookie


planks


plank and closeup


plank listed as Norfolk pine / Araucaria heterophylla


plank listed as Norfolk pine / Araucaria excelsa


hoop pine


pen blanks


turning stock


flooring


spalted cookie


bowl blanks


turning blanks


bowl blank with very puzzling bright white sapwood that I have not otherwise ever encountered and thus find very suspect.


two views of a bowl blank


3" diameter turning blank




table


pedestal bowl and hollow form showing the "wagon wheel spoke" effect that one sometimes finds in this wood and that is a favorite of turners for the obvious reason.


hollow form


because of the large knots and color variations, this wood is a favorite for those turners who like to turn very thin-walled bowls so that they are slightly translucent under a strong light, as can be seen in these three bowls.


several views of a translucent thin-walled vase


Norfolk Island pine lamp shade


bowls


bowl shot at a woodworking show. HUGE enlargements are present. Finish was stated as boiled lindseed oil.


footed bowls


back-lit bowl that was turned thin enough to be translucent


hollow form. This was listed as spalted and since it didn't seem spalted to me I asked the owner and both he a some other folks said that NP spalting is nothing like black-line spalting and instead it is the darker brown areas such as the swirls around the knots.


bowl, freshly turned and still on the lathe


vases


two pics of the same vase


hollow forms


platters


urns


vase and lampshade, raw and then finished


boxes