Monkey-Puzzle Trees (Araucaria araucana)
Monkey-puzzle trees are unusual-looking and long-lived conifers, with lifespans exceeding 1,000 years in some cases. With ancestors dating back to the Jurassic Period, it is easy to imagine long-necked dinosaurs munching happily on the tree’s strange foliage and large seeds. The species draws its common name from an offhand quote uttered by an owner of a specimen, who suggested that attempting to climb the tree would “puzzle a monkey.”
General Description and Information
Native to Chile and Argentina, monkey-puzzle trees are large evergreens that occasionally reach heights of 130 feet. Hailing from mountainous areas with frequent volcanic activity, monkey-puzzle trees have evolved the ability to cope with frequent fires. Large monkey-puzzle trees are more likely to survive fires than small trees are, but most surviving specimens sprout vigorously after fire.
The tree’s sharp, triangular leaves often persist for extremely long periods of time – up to 15 years in some cases. Monkey-puzzle trees exhibit a symmetrical growth habit, and they resemble Christmas trees while young. However, they shed their lower branches as they age, eventually becoming little more than long, bare trunked trees, topped by sprawling clusters of branches and leaves. By the time these trees mature, they may reach up to 120 feet in height.
Monkey-puzzle trees produce incredibly large cones that may represent a hazard to those walking beneath the tree. Pollinated by the wind, the cones mature in the autumn, about 1 ½ years after pollination takes place. Most specimens are dioecious, meaning that male and female cones are produced on separate trees. However, this is not always the case, as a few of the trees bear cones of both sexes.
Monkey-puzzle trees were an important timber species historically, but they are no longer legal to log in their natural range. Currently, monkey puzzle trees are endangered in the wild and listed on Appendix I, by the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). They play an important role in local indigenous cultures, and are recognized as the national tree of Chile.
Edible Seeds
Interestingly, the seeds of monkey-puzzle trees are edible; they are even collected commercially in Chile. Unfortunately, the trees take about 30 to 40 years to reach maturity and begin producing seeds, thus requiring the investment of significant amounts of time to yield a return. However, once the trees reach maturity they produce an incredible quantity of the seeds. Additionally, because the cones fall to the ground upon maturity, harvesting the seeds is relatively easy.
The seeds taste similar to pine nuts, yet they are soft like cashews. Not only appealing to people, many wildlife species, including birds and rodents, subsist in part on the high-calorie treats. This helps the trees disperse their seeds throughout the habitat, ultimately allowing the species to persist.
Californian Cultivation
Because of their unusual appearance, monkey-puzzle trees are popular specimens in gardens, backyards and parks. Monkey-puzzle trees require well-drained, slightly acidic soil, although they are adaptable to a variety of soil chemistries, as long as the drainage is adequate. They thrive best with plentiful sunshine, but will adapt well to shaded habitats.
Monkey-puzzle trees are incredibly hardy, and grow well along the Californian coast. They are rated for USDA Hardiness zones 7b through 20 according to most authorities, but some suggest they are suitable in locations rated up to USDA Hardiness Zone 11.
While the salt spray coming off the ocean will not negatively affect monkey-puzzle trees, they are rather intolerant of pollution. Accordingly, they are not ideal street trees for dense cities. However, they are resistant to most common pests.
