Description
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.
