Prickly Pine Plant Care

Prickly Pine (Eucryphia moorei) belongs to the Cunoniaceae family within the Eucryphia genus. Prickly Pine is native to southeastern New South Wales, Australia. Prickly Pine is also known as Moore's Leatherwood.

Prickly Pine displays a small to medium-sized tree growth habit, reaching up to 30 ft tall with a spread of approximately 20 ft. Prickly Pine produces showy, fragrant white or pink flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Prickly Pine every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Prickly Pine thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Eucryphia moorei tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Prickly Pine prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining, acidic soil with high organic matter content. Good drainage is essential for Prickly Pine to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Prickly Pine every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, acidic soil with high organic matter content. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Prickly Pine is suited to USDA Zone 12a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Prickly Pine can spread to about 20 ft (6.1 m) and reach about 30 ft (9 m) tall. Space plants about 20 ft (6.1 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Prickly Pine while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Prickly Pine is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 12). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Prickly Pine can be propagated through seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to chilean eucryphia plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Prickly Pine is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, caterpillars. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Prickly Pine grows outdoors in USDA Zone 12a. It survives winters down to planting zone 12a. Prickly Pine is native to southeastern New South Wales, Australia. In cooler regions, grow Prickly Pine as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.