Araucaria cunninghamiiHoop Pine

The Araucaria cunninghamii, or Hoop Pine, is a tall, narrow-crowned conifer from the rainforests of eastern Australia and New Guinea, named for the horizontal hoops of rough bark that ring its trunk. Branches are carried in distinct tiers, giving the tree a formal, almost drawn silhouette that holds its shape for a century or more.

It is planted where a vertical accent is wanted at scale: in avenues, on ridgelines, at building corners and in the sort of large park planting where a single specimen has to carry the composition.

Specifications

• Height30 to 50 metres in habitat, commonly 15 to 25 metres in cultivation
• Width6 to 10 metres
• Native toEastern Australia and New Guinea
• FoliageShort, sharp, awl-shaped needles crowded on tiered branches; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers deep, well-drained soils; tolerates a wide range of textures
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in subtropical and tropical regions and tolerates exposed, windy sites

Additional Features

• FormNarrow, symmetrical crown with branches in distinct horizontal tiers
• UsesAvenue and boundary planting, park specimens, windbreaks and architectural landscape accents
• SpacingPlant 8 to 12 metres apart for avenues, or as a single specimen with room to develop
• Low MaintenanceNeeds almost no pruning; lower branches lift naturally with age
• Pest ResistanceNaturally resilient with few serious pests
• LongevityVery long-lived, holding form for well over a century
• Environmental BenefitsDeep rooting and dense timber make it a durable windbreak in exposed country

The Hoop Pine is an architectural conifer of real permanence, used where a landscape needs a vertical marker that will outlast the buildings around it.