Common Name: Monkey Puzzle Tree

General Information

Araucaria araucana is an evergreen coniferous tree of unique appearance with its branches produced in regular tiers of five to seven and its short, spiny leaves that clasp the stems even in death; it can grow more than 30 metres tall. The tree has a pyramidal crown when young, often cloaked to the ground for many years when grown in the open, becoming more rounded with age. The bole is straight and cylindrical, forest-grown trees can be free of branches for up to 18 - 27metres and 90cm or more in diameter[, ].
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its seed and its wood. The seed forms a staple food for the native people in regions where it grows in Chile, it is also sold in local markets there[, ]. International trade in the seed and timber is prohibited by CITES regulations. This tree has an excellent potential to become a commercial crop in mild maritime regions of the temperate zone, where it has been shown to produce seed regularly and abundantly[, ]. The tree is sometimes grown in plantations in its native range, mainly as a timber crop. It is often grown as an ornamental - unfortunately this is usually as a single, specimen tree and so, since it is dioecious, it cannot produce seed.
About 60% of the Argentine Araucaria forests remain after deforestation, and these forests are under continual threat and degradation from fire, logging and overgrazing. The frequency of fires has increased during the 20th century in order to establish agricultural and livestock activities and this has resulted in severe fragmentation of the forests. Today the most obvious sign of forest degradation is the lack of natural regeneration that, under normal conditions, follows a ‘pulse’ pattern of highly productive seed years followed by less productive ones. Many forests are subject to intensive human use in the form of seed collecting and animal grazing, Araucaria trees are poor at regenerating, and any regeneration that does occur is principally asexual with trees sprouting from roots. There are severe threats to Araucaria araucana in the north of its range in Argentina, due to the establishment of plantations of exotic tree species within these native stands. In Chile the main threat is anthropogenic fires: large areas in several national parks have been destroyed within the last 25 years. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - central and southern Chile, southern Argentina

Habitat

Mountain slopes in deep sandy soils in coniferous woodland, usually with Nothofagus[]. Mostly on soils of volcanic origin which are often dry and stony; in pure stands or small groups mixed with other species; at elevations from 900 - 1,800metres[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Araucaria araucana is only hardy in the milder regions of the temperate zone, growing best in areas with moist summers and disliking hot, dry conditions.
Prefers a deep well-drained soil[, ]. Dislikes hot dry soils[]. Dislikes atmospheric pollution[]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure and salt laden winds[, ].
The monkey puzzle is a very slow growing but long-lived tree that can take 5 - 10 years before it even gets above grass height and then grows around 35cm a year. Specimens more than 500 years old are frequently found[, ].
New growth takes place from early to late summer[].
A high yielding tree that has large tasty seeds and is easily harvested. Its main disadvantages are its slow rate of growth and the time it takes before the first crop is produced - this can be up to 40 years from seed though we have often seen plants less than 20 years old produce cones[].
The plant is dioecious so at least one male plant needs to be grown for every 5 - 6 females - unfortunately there is no way of telling the sex of the tree until it flowers.
There are means of vegetative reproduction and it might be possible to produce clones of known sex in the future - these will probably come into bearing at an earlier age.
If you have the space to plant at least 5 trees, and the foresight, this is a tree that will be a very valuable food crop in the future[]. It is said that 18 good-sized trees can provide enough for an adult's sustenance all year round[].
Female cones take 2 - 3 years to mature, and break up at the end of the year[]. They contain up to 200 large seeds[].
Plants have been seen to self-sow in Cornwall[].
We have records of trees regularly producing good crops of seeds in various sites in Cornwall, Devon and the west coast of Scotland. We also have one report of an excellent crop in 1997 from trees at Alvaston Castle near Derby and of a tree in Bedfordshire producing a heavy crop[].
Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[, ].
Unlike most conifers, this tree can be coppiced[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. Rich in starch[]. The seed is soft like a cashew nut and has a slight flavour of pine nuts. This is a delicious seed and it makes very pleasant eating. It is a food that can easily be eaten in quantity and can be used as a staple food in the diet[]. Fairly large, the seeds are about the size of an almond and can be 3cm long x 1cm wide. They are harvested in the autumn and, when kept in cool, dry conditions will store for at least 9 months[].

Medicinal

A resin obtained from incisions in the trunk is used in the treatment of ulcers and wounds[, , ].

Agroforestry Uses:

Very tolerant of maritime exposure, trees can be grown as part of a shelterbelt, though they are very slow growing and have an open canopy and so do not give a lot of shelter[, ].

Other Uses

A resin is obtained from incisions in the trunk. This is used mainly for medicinal purposes[, , ].

The heartwood is pale yellowish or greyish-yellow, sometimes with slightly darker stripes; it is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is fine and uniform; the grain usually straight; growth rings not well-demarcated; there is no appreciable odour or taste , The wood is somewhat difficult to season, dries slowly and rather unevenly. It has good working properties; takes a beautiful polish; presents only a small blunting effect on cutting edges; cuts cleanly in most operations but has a tendency to crumble when worked on end grain; takes nails well; varnishes and paints satisfactorily; glues, peels and slices well. It is used for joinery and carpentry, and is suitable for pulping[, , , , ]. The wood is a good substitute for Picea abies[].
The wood is moderately good for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[] or it can be stored cool and moist then sown late winter in a greenhouse[, ]. Although the plants are quite cold-tolerant, the root systems of seedling plants can be damaged in spells of very cold weather so give some extra protection at this time if necessary. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 15°c[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. The plants have a rather sparse root system and are best placed in their final positions as soon as possible. Give them some protection for their first winter[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, May to July in a cold frame. Only epicormic side-shoots should be used, normal side-shoots do not develop properly[]. An epicormic shoot is one that develops from a dormant bud on the main trunk of the tree[].