Araucaria bidwillii

Sunset

Zones 7-9, 12-25, 27, H1, H2

Full, Partial, Shade

Moderate

Bunya-Bunya Tree
Araucariaceae
Evergreen, Trees

ARAUCARIA

These strange looking conifers provide a distinctive silhouette with their evenly spread tiers of stiff branches. Most have stiff, closely overlapping, dark to bright-green leaves. All do well in a wide range of soils with adequate drainage.

Make impressive skyline trees and are seen in that role in many parks and old estates, especially in California, but they become so towering that they really do need the space they have in a park or large, open property. Not trees to sit under: with age they bear large, spiny, 10 to 15-lb. cones that fall with a crash. They thrive in containers for several years, even in desert areas.

Araucaria bidwillii

Native to Australia. Moderate growth; broadly rounded crown supplies dense shade. Juvenile leaves are glossy, rather narrow, 3/4 to 2 in. long, stiff, more or less spreading in two rows; mature leaves are oval, 1/2 in. long, rather woody, spirally arranged and overlapping along branches. Unusual houseplant; very tough and tolerant of low light.