Can I plant a Norfolk Island Pine?

[jnieman]

Hi:

We need to add some privacy to the corner of our lot as our neighbor is putting up a huge bird cage with pool. I was wondering if the Norfolk Island Pine trees grow well here and are they slow growers or fast growers. My son has one on his property in Boca Raton but that is further South. What do you all think?

[Uptown Girl]

Although I have seen two mature and healthy looking ones in landscapes here,
Norfolk Island Pine is not considered to be very cold hardy.
Floridata (website) says zone 10-11. We are zone 9a. They also say it is very easily toppled in high (storm) winds.

Damage can occur when temps are below 40 degrees. We get those temps here.

It's a beautiful tree, but rather open and airy unless in full sun and quite mature- I am not sure it would do much, if your purpose was to screen a view.
Perhaps a different kind of shrub or tree would give you more bang for your buck..... take your time and do some research as to mature size and maintenance before you actually plant. (and get approval/permission to make sure you can plant it where you want it.)
A big clump of Pampas grass might work- Oleander is a possibility- Magnolia trees get big and stay full at the bottom. (just a few selections off the top of my head) There are lots more!
Let us know what you decide upon :)

[mrsyarbie]

I wish we had more of that kind of tree in our area. However remember the root system for the northern kind of trees isnt really solid in this area . We have lots of clay and or sand. I have seen many Oak trees toppled over in storms and I have seen their roots pulled up and exposed in storms.( many of these northern type trees roots do not grow very deep in this soil.) But I have lived in Florida for over 30 years and the trees I have seen fall over the most in storms in Florida are the Palm trees. People in TV love the look but after a few years they get very tall and all you see are poles.( Lets hope we dont have too many big storms in TV.) Good luck what ever you decide.

[Shimpy]

I saw the first Norfolk Pine here just the other day and it was only about 4' tall and wondered why I haven't seen more of them. I would guess the cooler climate. I had one given to me in Hollywood Fla. from my realtor when I bought my house in 1965 and when I moved 15 years later it was over 40' tall.

[Golfingnut]

USDA Zones 10 - 11. Norfolk Island pine is very tender and will begin to sustain damage at temperatures below 40ºF (4.4ºC) beginning with discoloration of foliage. the Norfolk Island pine is grown in warmer and protected micro-climates throughout Zone 9 - especially near the water. If the tree is killed by frost new stems will be produced from the roots. Baton Rouge is in zone 9 so it is on the northern edge of the zone that Norfolk can survive. The cold in the winter will be it downfall. In Zone 9 it will survive most winters, but if you get a bad one, say mid 20s it will be gone.

[travelguy]

i have one in my side yard between the two houses; this will be the first winter so wish me luck. i have seen several rather large ones in the area, and they are magnificent. but not for privacy.

[batman911]

I would not plant a Norfolk pine. They grow very tall and fast and could damage your or your neighbors home in a strong wind storm if they fall. Because of their height, they also may block the view of some of your neighbors.

[rayschic]

Although I have seen two mature and healthy looking ones in landscapes here,
Norfolk Island Pine is not considered to be very cold hardy.
Floridata (website) says zone 10-11. We are zone 9a. They also say it is very easily toppled in high (storm) winds.

Damage can occur when temps are below 40 degrees. We get those temps here.

It's a beautiful tree, but rather open and airy unless in full sun and quite mature- I am not sure it would do much, if your purpose was to screen a view.
Perhaps a different kind of shrub or tree would give you more bang for your buck..... take your time and do some research as to mature size and maintenance before you actually plant. (and get approval/permission to make sure you can plant it where you want it.)
A big clump of Pampas grass might work- Oleander is a possibility- Magnolia trees get big and stay full at the bottom. (just a few selections off the top of my head)
Let us know what you decide upon!

Here's a link to the Floridata website that UptownGirl mentioned. You can change it to Zone 9 and trees and it lists 167 different trees. If you click on the name of the tree, you will get lots of info such as how tall it will grow and how fast, etc.
FloriDatagrid (http://www.floridata.com/jq/floridatagrid.cfm)
Another thought...your neighbor may have plans on doing something on that side of the lanai, too. They probably will want privacy too. So, you might want to wait until he finishes or just go chat with him about it. Good luck.

[Russ_Boston]

[QUOTE=rayschic;761503]Here's a link to the Floridata website that UptownGirl mentioned. You can change it to Zone 9 and trees and it lists 167 different trees. If you click on the name of the tree, you will get lots of info such as how tall it will grow and how fast, etc.
FloriDatagrid (http://www.floridata.com/jq/floridatagrid.cfm)
Another thought...your neighbor may have plans on doing something on that side of the lanai, too. They probably will want privacy too. So, you might want to wait until he finishes or just go chat with him about it. Good luck.[

/QUOTE]

Great site - thanks!

And ditto on the 'wait and see what he does first idea'.

[Sail41]

In south Florida, you can no longer plant Norfolk pines. They topple very easily in a storm. We have a condominium here is St. Lucie Co which is north of Boca and have been told to remove 2 norfolk pines that appeared on our property. Our neighbor in the Villages has one between our homes and I'm hoping it doesn't damage our house in any storm.