Araucaria araucana
Common name: monkey puzzle tree
Family: Araucariaceae
Leaf: thick, tough, scale-like, triangular, 3-4 cm long, broad at the base, with sharp edges and tips, persisting for 10-15 years, arranged what appears to be spirally along the stems (whorled), packed very densely-such that any bare branches are not at all visible
Flower: dioecious trees (male and female cones on seperate trees), female seed cones are globose, large, 4-7" in diameter; male pollen cones are oblong and cucumber shaped, up to 5" long at maturity
Height: up to 130'
Habit: upright tree, with very straight central leader, branches at very regular intervals, horiszontal to gently ascending
Form: pyramidal in youth, left only with a "tufted top" 1/4- 1/3 of the tree at maturity
Culture: Grow in moderately fertile, moist, but well-drained soils in an open site, with protection from cold, drying winds. Tolerance of a wide variety of soil conditions, as long as they are well-drained. Best in full sun to part shade. Hardy to USDA zones 7-10. Performs best in Mediterranean-like climates with milder summers, than in places with hot, humid summers.
Uses: interesting landscape specimen for a large area, "living fossil"
Origin: Central Chile, Northern Patagonia, Argentina
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A. araucana in old age |
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