Not obsessed, but they are unique/unusual. Someone planted a Norfolk Island pine in the ground at a west MD park. I noticed it and laughed, but next year I couldn't believe what saw, it had survived a winter of deep snow and resprouted from the roots! Notice the original tree had browned and died, but there is the new sprout. I'd credit the deep and consistent snow cover for the survival.

Yes, that is a Norfolk Island Pine, mine is still out in a pot, it's been mild. This species is much less cold hardy than Monkey Puzzle (A. araucana). Mine is going on year three in the ground and gaining in height. Snow would be insulating.

Beng, that is an amazing find!!!

Although rated zone 10, usually, they are clearly unusually 'cool tolerant', both in respect to averages and (as your example so clearly shows) ability to recover in some way, from infrequent unexpected temperature excursions.

There's long been one in Isola Brissago in Lake Maggiore, between Italy and Switzerland, but yes, actually on the Swiss side! Granted the islands of Maggiore have an extremely mild climate...Brissago was the first place I saw a Coffee bush IRL, but they do have occasional sharper winters that probably go down to -3 or -4C. And even if they didn't, winters are VERY chilly there...with highs no higher than the mid 40s. Lows are usually a bit above freezing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locarno

(Brissago, being an island, would be warmer than Locarno in the worst freezes. But it gives you an idea that superficially, this would seem to be a closer climate to say, Washington, DC, than someplace like Jacksonville, FL. Where I didn't see any NIPs. In fact I don't remember seeing them in Orlando when I got off the autotrain, but it's totally possible I missed them.)

If one wants to see ALOT of Cook Island pines, watch the PGA tournament they play in Hawaii Jan 11-14 in Oahu. There are dozens of tall, fine specimens along the golf course.