Norfolk Island pine seedlings were grown in different nutrient solutions to study how salt damage affects them. When sodium replaced potassium in the solutions, potassium levels in the roots and shoots decreased. Sodium uptake was limited, and chloride levels increased with higher chloride concentrations. At high sodium chloride levels, plants showed signs of salt damage. Soil analysis revealed that the soil beneath affected trees did not have high enough sodium and chloride levels to explain the high levels found in the trees.