Araucaria araucana
Monkey Puzzle Tree
Description
This large, evergreen tree will eventually grow about 70'-90' tall and has pointed, dark green leaves. It is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. The origin of the popular English language name "monkey puzzle" derives from its early cultivation in Britain in about 1850, when the species was still very rare in gardens and not widely known. Sir William Molesworth, the proud owner of a young specimen at Pencarrow garden near Bodmin in Cornwall, was showing it to a group of friends, one of them – the noted barrister and Benthamist Charles Austin – remarked, "It would puzzle a monkey to climb that". As the species had no existing popular name, first "monkey puzzler", then "monkey puzzle" stuck.
Plant Type
Tree, Conifer
Height Range
60-100'
Flower Color
n/a
Flower Season
n/a
Leaf Color
Bark Color
n/a
Fruit Color
n/a
Fruit Season
n/a
Sun
Full
Water
Medium
Growth Rate
Slow
Soil Type
Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition
Average, Well-drained
Soil pH
Neutral
Adverse Factors
n/a
Design Styles
n/a
Accenting Features
n/a
Seasonal Interest
n/a
Location Uses
Background, Swimming Pool
Special Uses
n/a
Attracts Wildlife
n/a
Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems. Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.