Nip? Now with Photos.

[Mike Minto]

I was able to gather some wood this week - mulberry, and I believe, Norfolk Island Pine. The reason I think it is NIP is that all the branches grow at one level, four to six around, then bare tree trunk for 2 to 3 feet, then another round of branches. Is this NIP, or a different pine? I'll add a photo or two tonight. Some of the mulberry is a good 18" in diameter.

Here are the photos of the freshly cut and anchorseal(2)ed logs.

[John Keeton]

Mike, I don't know anything about NIP, but I was of the impression that most pines had the same branching pattern as you describe. I am sure there are other distinguishing characteristics of the NIP and a pic would probably help for those that know what they are looking at!:confused:

[Karl Card]

I have some blanks here called "norfolk". I am wondering if that is the same is norfolk pine. I got these from hawaii. Anyway the coloring is dull and looks like it is underneath a coating but when I soak them in oil for a couple days the color is just astounding...

[David E Keller]

I've turned a bit of that stuff... I got all of mine from Hawaii. The knots are located as you describe, but I'm not sure if that is a characteristic of other pine trees. All of it that I've turned was spalted. The knots have a red coloration that makes them stand out on finished pieces. As Karl said, it's rather bland stuff until you soak it... Thats when the spalting pops. It's commonly turned thin and can be quite translucent will a good oil soak. If it's NIP, it's great stuff to turn. If you've come into a bunch of it, you should share it with the rest of us... Starting with me first!:D

[bob svoboda]

My experience is almost exactly the same as David's. Here are a couple of pic's of some I turned last winter.

[charlie knighton]

i believe there is some in south florida

[John Keeton]

Mike, I had a few moments and found this - sounds like it would not be growing in your area.
Araucaria heterophylla or Norfolk Island Pine or Australian Pine is a southern hemisphere conifer (not a real pine) native to the Norfolk Islands and Australia. Norfolk Island Pine is one of the few conifers able to adapt to inside the home and is able to tolerate relatively low light levels. In its native habitat, this tree may reach 200 feet in height with 15 pound cones. The tree will grow outside in the United States but only in the semi-tropics.
USDA hardiness zones: South tip of Florida and California, zone 11
Origin: not native to North America
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:eUntXA4_TSvWAM:http://i1.treknature.com/photos/567/norfolk_pine.jpg (http://i1.treknature.com/photos/567/norfolk_pine.jpg)

[Al Wasser]

John, I haven't sorted this out. The picture you show matches the "pines" I have seen in homes as a house plant. However when we were in NZ there is a "pine" that they call NIP. It has "needles" that are over a foot long. I'm not sure which one is used for wood turning or if they both are.

[John Keeton]

Al, I don't know either!! I know the guys in NZ do turn a lot of items that appear like that posted by Bob, but I do not know if it is the same tree. From what I saw in my brief search, the tree is native to Norfolk Island (suprised???) which is in the vicinity of NZ and Australia. Some references even said it was native to Australia??:confused: (Why would it be called NIP??)

[Cathy Schaewe]

Many of the really big pines on my property - and there are quite a few - have their branches in that arrangement. And from John's description, those don't grow in upstate New York! So I'm guessing that the branch arrangement isn't determinative.

[Edward Bartimmo]

Primary characteristic of NIP is that the limbs grow radial axis on the same plane. There will be even spaces vertically between the different levels of branches. NIP are planted as ornamentals and originate from Norfolk Island (Australian - New Zealand area) so they prefer warmer climates. NIP grow readily along the lower Gulf Coast and Caribbean. Most notable is that this is the small live tree that is sold at Christmas time by almost every foodstore and nursery around where I live. So there are a lot of them out there, but most are not very big and they don't grown fast like a yellow pine.

They do not tolerate cold weather very well as evidenced by how many froze during the cold snap we had in Houston (28 - 32 degrees for a couple of nights). My tree as well as all the other ones that I have been eyeing over the years in people's yards died. Perhaps they climatize better in North??? I bet they do well along the Pacific Coast.

[Allen Neighbors]

We do have some pine trees in this area, on which the limbs are not symmetrically arranged around the trunk...
But not native to this area, but is found in central New Mexico, is a Pine that is called Turkey Foot Pinion... it has the limbs arranged symmetrically, but not equidistant, vertically... I've still got a few pieces of one my friend transplanted from New Mexico, and it died after about 15 or 20 years. It's a lot like NIP...
Just my .02... you get change, too. :D

[Mike Minto]

You know, I found a tree identification book in the house; pines with this symmetrical limb pattern are austrian, red and white pines. I do believe this is a plain old white pine, from looking at the photos in the book. Oh, well; still turns easily, and looks pretty good. Some of it has 'blue stain' which looks pretty cool. The mimosa is heavy and wet - started a piece this morning.

[Barry Elder]

NIP grows in parts of the "East Coast", but if it snows where you are, then it's probably not NIP, though it looks similar. If it's green, how is the sap going to get out of the ones that you have sealed? (Humor)

[Thomas Canfield]

In Hawaii they have both the Norfolk Island Pine and Captain Cooks Pine on the Big Island that look very similar growing. The NIP to me has a clearer and more translucent look over the CCP and the CCP often has more spalted or dark sections.

I know that there are some (at least a dozen in her old neighborhood) large NIP out in San Francisco that I saw when visiting my daughter after returning from a trip to Hawaii. The NIP were about 50' high or more and base over 2' D and must have been planted about 50 or more years ago based on ages of houses in area..