Araucaria araucana
Monkey Puzzle Tree
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Common Name: Monkey Puzzle Tree
Latin Name: Araucaria araucana
Soil: Fertile, well drained. Prefers loamy soil.
Position: Full sun
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Flowering period: Females: Autumn.
Flowering type: Females: Frown cones/ Males: Flowers
Eventual height/spread: 6m/3m
The Araucaria araucana, which is commonly known as the 'Monkey Puzzle Tree', is a majestic evergreen tree. The long branches are covered in prickly, glossy leaves, which hold all year round. This tree is a fantastic specimen tree for larger gardens as it will add an injection of lush green colour all year round. The 'Monkey Puzzle' is a dioecious tree and so the males produce oval-shaped flowers and the females produce spherical cones. Interestingly, the unusual common name was coined in the 19th century after a man suggested that the distinctive branches would even puzzle a monkey to climb! Although this is a slow-growing tree, it can become quite large; please bear this in mind when planting. This araucaria does not benefit from regular pruning.