Fauna
Plant

Cook Pine

Araucaria columnaris

Also known as Coral Reef Araucaria, New Caledonia Pine, Cook Araucaria, Columnar Araucaria

Cook pines form strikingly slender, towering spires that reach over fifty meters in height, cloaked in dense whorls of short horizontal branches with cord-like branchlets. Native to the limestone shores of New Caledonia, they are renowned for a pronounced directional lean toward the equator when planted across the globe. Their peeling bark continuously sloughs off in thin, papery ribbons, revealing dark resinous wood underneath.

EvergreenConiferCoastal
Cook Pine reference1 / 7
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil minerals
ThreatsCoastal development, habitat fragmentation, intense tropical cyclones
HabitatsCoastal limestone bluffs, coral reef margins, subtropical and tropical landscapes
Life span150–300 years
Classification
  1. OrderPinales
  2. FamilyAraucariaceae
  3. GenusAraucaria
  4. SpeciesAraucaria columnaris
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Viewing angle: Step back to observe the whole spire, noting its pronounced lean toward the equator.
  • Foliage inspection: Check the ground below for shed, whip-like branchlets covered in small overlapping scales.
  • Bark examination: Look at the trunk surface to see papery rings peeling off the weathered gray wood.
Related species
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