[College of ACES] [University of Illinois] [Illinois CES]

Re: Re: Norfolk Pine in yard?

ieraci@zip.com.au
Thu, 21 Nov 1996 07:26:24 -0600

Can't say much about cold tolerance in terms of your zone rating system - we don't generally use it here, but they will grow down into Victoria and in rural NSW where they can cope some severe frosts. Once they are above the frost, they usually survive.

BUT!!!! I'm fascinated by Bill from Florida's observations re. brittle and prone to wind damage. Do they grow differently in the US?

Yes, here you can sometimes have small branch failure in wind, but in their native habitat, on Norfolk Is., they can grow under extremely high wind conditions. In Sydney, they are a very commen beach front planting species, particularly in areas with high pedestrian usage. Not many problems.
So I would be intersted to know more of your experiences, eg. are you seeing branch or trunk failure (with or without decay), any apparent / frequent diseases??

Regards,
Garry Clubley
Consulting Arborist
Sydney
Australia