Steve Dongles Top 100 Trees: - No 6 Araucaria heterophylla or Norfolk Island Pine

The Norfolk Island Pine photographed by Armando Spleen outside the ruins at Herculaneum.

The Norfolk Island pine is a beautiful tree, grows well in sandy soils and is largely unaffected by a salty atmosphere. Consequently, Araucaria heterophylla  has spread and proliferated world-wide in warm coastal areas and is much admired by sailors.

Architects of a certain age have favoured the symmetry of the species and have used the outline of this tree on their elevational drawings of mediocre modern architecture.  Often the tree's silouette completely obscured the buildings proposed appearance making it much easier for the client to 'sign off' the design prior to construction.  The fact that the leaves appear to be defying gravity by 'pointing up' appealed to many an architect's poor understanding of physics and general positivity in the face of overwhelming failure to prosper.  Sadly, although many of these buildings were actually constructed, few Norfolk Island Pines were ever planted (although, Leylandii perform the same purpose in a much cheaper and uglier way! -see 'Value Engineering' and 'Design and Build').

Every one of us in our daily lives affect our fragile environment.   Every beach you rake, every earth you quake, every corn you crake,  I'll be watching you!" Steve Dongle; Eco-warrior, environmental activist and compiler of the Waveney Gazette's Top 100 Trees.