Araucaria heterophyllia

Each year I can absorb up to 500g of CO2

 

That's about enough to:

• Fill 1 football
• Drive a car for up to 1 mile
• Make 8 cups of tea

 

*rough estimate using data sourced from:

haskins.co.uk

cogo.zendesk.com

I love it humid, so make sure you give my leaves and stem a spritz of water once or twice a week during summer. You can reduce watering to every few weeks during the coldest winter months but central heating dries me out, so I’ll still be grateful for a weekly spray misting of water. I particularly like to stand in a saucer of water, because that's similar to my natural environment.

I’m originally found growing on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where I love to grow in warm, humid conditions. Indoors, I’m at my most happy in a warm bright spot away from cold winds. I’ll be happy indoors all year round in a bright warm room. You can pop me outside all summer.

I’m quite fast growing here in the UK. I like to climb up a moss pole, like my cousin the monstera, or you can let me trail over the edge of a shelf. Realistically, for most people, you can expect me to add maybe 5-to-10cm of height each year. Give me perfect conditions and I might reach 90cm tall and maybe 40cm wide.

I'm in my pomp during summer, and although I’m usually grown as a houseplant, I’ll be quite happy outside during summer. I won’t like being in full baking sun all day, so find a nice dappled shady spot for me. If you leave me outside and forget me, I’ll die back with the first frost. I’m not at all cold-hardy, so you should treat me as a houseplant, and if you want to add a touch of the tropics to your summer patio or balcony, I’ll be happy outside until maybe late October.