Monkey Puzzle Tree 2-3 year for Clare
Monkey Puzzle Tree
Other names: Araucaria Araucana, Chile Pine
A large evergreen tree with horizontal branches covered in spirals of sharp, triangular leaves.
Once mature, the tree produces large cones at the tips of the branches. The cones contain seeds similar to large pine nuts.
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The monkey puzzle tree is a slow grower, reaching 6ft after 10 years. However, it ultimately can reach 100ft in height and can live for over 1,000 years.
Care Guide
Monkey puzzle trees are very low maintenance plants and generally problem free….. they don’t require any regular feeding or pruning.
For the first year plant the sapling in a pot and keep in a frost free, sheltered position.
When ready to plant out choose a open spot in full to partial sun. Plant in soil with good drainage, water well and regularly for the first year.
History
Originally native to Chile and Argentina, it dates back around 200 million years (to the dinosaur (Mesozoic) Era). It is suspected the sharp leaves protected it from being eaten by dinosaurs and other long-extinct animals.
It was brought to the UK in the 18th Century and was a favourite with the Victorians. It is thought it got its common name when a guest saw the tree at a Cornwall country estate and remarked that it’d be a ‘puzzle’ even for a monkey to climb.
The monkey puzzle tree is classed as an endangered species in its native habitat. Human interference in the form of heavy logging, forest fires and grazing animals have taken a heavy toll on the trees. As it takes 40 years for the tree to produce seeds, re-establishing them is a long-term challenge.
UK Conservation efforts have seen Chilean ‘forests’ of monkey puzzle trees planted at the Royal Botanic Gardens site in Sussex, the Eden Project, and Benmore Botanic Gardens in Scotland.By planting one in your garden, you will play your part in conserving a ‘living fossil’.
