What is this plant and is it dead?

[BreeVDKamp]

It was a wedding present 2 years ago, and for this reason I really want to keep it alive! It was so gorgeous and green and fresh when we first got it, and I kind of kept it going but recently it has been neglected. We repotted it into a bigger pot but now it is even worse! It has never been brown before. I think the top bits are still alive??

It didn't come with a label and I haven't been able to find out what it is, and no-one in my family seems to know either!

The leaves are more like needles and it is an evergreen.

So does anyone know what it is and if so, how can I rescue it and then care for it?

Thanks!!

Hi there - it's looking rough isn't it? Definitely looks like some kind of pine. All is not lost as there are signs of new growth at the top of the plant, but those brown needles will all drop off soon.

I would replant in a bigger pot (doesn't look like a big pot in the photo) or into a border in the garden with John Innes No.1 or No.2 compost, which is recommended for rooted Christmas trees and remember to water it.

Ah thanks fudge

Here's some better pics of the pot, i thought it was big compared to the plant (which seems to have a tiny root) but I don't know much.

The pot (plastic) was expensive but it was the cheapest one that was big enough so is like to avoid getting another one!

Will get some new compost though. Do you think it matters if I keep it in the sun or shade? And I guess I should keep the soil damp?

Thanks for your help!!

Oops sorry, here are the pics

Trees that live in the actual ground will generally have as much root system as there is visible 'top' of the plant, so it would certainly be happier to have more room. If you repot it, see if you can gently spread out the roots it already has, to give it a bit of encouragement, they might have got quite tightly bunched up.

Evergreens usually don't demand a lot of sun, though nothing likes a really dark corner either. Try to give it a good lot of water from time to time, don't just 'sprinkle' the top of the soil as it may not sink down very far.

If it is some sort of pine it might be possibly that the lower greenery dies down and just the top stays green iyswim, but it does look poorly

It is meant to be a living Christmas tree I'm guessing.
I think you should take it out of the pot and plant it in the garden in a deep hole with well drained compost, bearing in mind it may grow to a great height so place it near a boundary with friendly neighbours and not near any outbuildings

The only garden we have is shared and gravel. Maybe I'll see if I can plant it at my mum's.

Good to know about those dying lower branch pines! Maybe I haven't killed it hah.

I think your plant is Araucaria heterophylla - aka "Norfolk Island Pine" which hails from New Zealand. It is grown as an indoor pot plant and is related to the Monkey Puzzle tree, but it isn't hardy in this country, so please don't plant it outside! I hope the link will help with cultivation, but I'm not sure whether your plant will recover.

Pines look similar from a distance don't they?
Maybe OP can nurture it a bit by renewing the compost completely with potting compost, repotting, cutting off the brown lower branches, watering regularly in this warm summer, and bring it indoors in late August.
There is no substitute for natural sunlight.

Have a look at this link. Norfolk Pines (which are not actually pines), are also known as the suicide tree, when grown in containers. They are HUGE on the side or motorways in Au.

houseplants.about.com/od/Tropicals/p/Norfolk-Island-Pine-Growing-Norfolk-Island-Pine-Indoors.htm

I thought it was something to do with a monkey puzzle tree too.

Hmmm ok well maybe I'll try keeping it indoors (we did have it inside for a time), and following funnypersons steps. Ooft. The guilt of keeping (read killing!) plants is too much for me I think :-s

Off to find an indoor spot now!

Its a Norfolk Island pine. NOT hardy, but possibly has been waterlogged.
Give it a bit of a trim and it will re shoot