Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Monkey Tail Tree, 1 by growin

growin wrote:
Hi SunshineSue,

I can tell you tons about the Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana). People either love it or hate it. It was discovered in a salad by Archibald Menzies, naturalist on Captain George Vancouver's ship on a return to England in Chile. The tree grows mostly in the mountains with some coastal populations in Chile and Argentina(mtn only). There are no Monkies in its native haunts but was overheard at a dedication dinner that it would "puzzle any monkey to climb it". There is an episode of "The Ghost and Mrs Muir" called "Monkey Puzzle Tree" where Mrs. Muir threatens to cut the tree down. The ghost doesn't like that. When I was a kid the tradition in Vancouver was to yell "Monkey Puzzle Tree" and pinch the person next to you in the car, simular to "punch buggy".

They don't like heat/hot conditions, prefer constant moisture but not waterlogging. They enjoy humidity and despise dry air. Once established they should not be root disturbed. Moving a larger tree is very difficult as the leaves are sharp. In your area I'd situation the tree in the coolest, most humid location and protect in winter from sharp frost, snow, dry dessicating winds. It can be done.

Earlier this year I harvested seed which took taking a pole and knocking the cones, which are oversized softball to football size, until they broke apart to the grass. This year I'm looking for a telephone truck to rent. A few years ago a wildfire devestated a large area of native Araucaria in Chile. The species has been upgraded to CITES I so international trade in the species is very difficult. The seed are fairly large with a "squirrels tail" on them, bright burnt orange and full of meat.

I have a few 2 1/2" pots of Monkey Puzzle Tree that I was going to put on eBay. I'm under "Treestart" so check it out in a few days. These can be grown indoors as long as you treat them like you would a Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterphylla) with extra humidity, evenly moist and strong indirect light. The plants I have should be in 1 gallon pots anyways. Ask me anything you want on them - they've always been a passion of mine.