Araucaria columnaris, as described in 1786 by Johann Reinhold Forster, in Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus, 67 edition, is commonly known as the coral reef araucaria, Cook pine, New Caledonia pine, Cook araucaria, or columnar araucaria. It was first classified by botanists working on Captain James Cook's second voyage of exploration. The Coral reef araucaria is often confused with the Norfolk Island pine (A. heterophylla) because of their similar appearance.