Not to be confused with : Monkey Orchid [a plant with similar name]

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature :

The Monkey-puzzle tree is one of the oldest trees still extant in the modern world, sometimes described as being a living fossil because of the species enormous age. They can also live enormous lifetimes; the oldest known is 800 years old. It grows up to 40m high

It is a hardy conifer, a native of Chile and Argentina, but able to withstand the coldest of the UKs bitter winters with apparent impunity. It is very hardy. It is usually dioecious, meaning that the male cones and femal cones are on separate trees. Occasionally it is possible to find individual trees bearing both types of cone. The male cones are cucumber shaped up to 8inches long by the time it releases its pollen. On reaching maturity the fertilised cones disintegrate releasing nut-like seeds 3cm to 4cm long which are then dispersed by squirrels and jays.

In the UK there is only one species that grows in the wild, but in other parts of the World four species in the Araucaria Genus are known.

An evergreen tree with distinctive and un-mistakable branches covered in short leaves close to the branch and resembling a monkeys tail. The tree is ddioecios with both male and female flowers on the same tree. The female cones are largest, green at first, ripening in two years to brown, when they drop off the end of the branch. The male cones are a lighter brown, much smaller, and occur in multiples at the ends of (some) branches. The nuts are edible and best roasted.

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