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Araucaria araucana

monkey puzzle

© RHS
Sold by 46 nurseries

  • Other common names monkey puzzle
    money puzzle tree

    Chile pine

    see more

  • Family Araucariaceae

  • Genus Araucaria are evergreen trees from the Southern Hemisphere, with whorled branches bearing spirally arranged leaves that may be needle-like, triangular or scale-like, and small male, and large female cones, usually on separate trees

  • Details A. araucana is a stately evergreen tree with branches clothed in sharply pointed, triangular dark green leaves. Mature plants may bear cones on the upper branches, male and female usually on separate trees

  • Plant range Chile Argentina

Characteristics

  • Foliage Evergreen

  • Habit Bushy

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H7

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect South-facing or West-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered

Soil

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained

  • SoilLoam, Chalk, Sand

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height Higher than 12 metres

  • Ultimate spread wider than 8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years / more than 50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well drained soil in an open site with shelter from cold, drying winds

Propagation Propagate by seed sown in seedbed as soon as ripe; take cuttings of vertical shoot tips in midsummer and root in a cold frame; cuttings of horizontal side branches will not form an upright tree

Suggested planting locations and garden types Architectural

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 1; only young specimens respond well to pruning back into older wood

Pests Generally pest free

Diseases Honey fungus may be a problem

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