Great Plant Pick: Araucaria araucana, monkey puzzle tree

Published 1:30 am Saturday, September 9, 2017

What: Araucaria araucana is a distinctive South American conifer commonly known as a monkey puzzle tree. It has widely spaced branches that extend horizontally from the trunk and then arch upwards toward the tips. The unique, evergreen leaves — triangular in shape and with sharp-pointed tips — are arranged radially around each branch. This tree will definitely make a statement in the garden.

The origin of the name “monkey puzzle” derives from a remark made in Britain in about 1850, when the species was still very rare in gardens. A baronet was showing his tree to a group of friends when one of them, a noted barrister said, “It would puzzle a monkey to climb that.” As the species had no existing common name, first “monkey puzzler,” then “monkey puzzle” stuck.

Size: The pyramidal conifer grows to be 80 feet tall and 30 feet wide when mature.

Where: Monkey puzzle trees grow best in full sun and tolerate a wide range of soils, including clay and sandy types as long as the drainage is very good.

Water: In the Pacific Northwest, the tree is drought tolerant once established, although occasional watering during dry periods will encourage the it to grow a bit faster than it might otherwise.

— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks