Fruit and Nut
Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana)
The Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is a coniferous tree sometimes known as the Araucarian or Chilean pine, although it is not actually a pine species. It is the hardiest member of the genus Araucaria, in the Araucariaceae family, the other members of which are found widely scattered in Oceania, northern Australia and parts of South America. The Monkey Puzzle is native to the south-central Andes, the main habitat region being situated at latitudes between 37.5 and 39.5ºS. It is found mainly on the Chilean side, typically above 1000m. The climate is mild temperate and annual rainfall is 1250-2000mm (in one locality up to 4000mm).
In their native habitat Monkey Puzzle trees can grow up to 48m high and live for over 1200 years. Mature trees produce large cones, each of which contains up to 200 nuts. The nuts are both tasty and nutritious and have been long prized as a food by indigenous peoples. In the wild, trees begin to produce nuts at around 25-40 years. However, there is strong evidence that cultivated trees begin flowering much earlier in life (early flowering in a common phenomena in cultivated seed-grown trees and may be partly due to root stress during the first few years). The first cones have been recorded on some cultivated Monkey Puzzle trees at around 15 years.
Popular as an ornamental tree, the Monkey Puzzle has been planted in many northern hemisphere countries and is found growing well as far north as 63ºN in western Norway. It will tolerate wet maritime climates, salt exposure, and winter temperatures down to -20°C.
Pollination
The trees are dioecious, meaning the female and male reproductive parts are on different trees. The trees offered here are seed-grown and will have female and male in approximately similar proportions. There is no way of determining the gender of the tree until flowering begins. For reliable nut production, at least six trees should be planted.
Our Monkey Puzzle trees
Our oldest trees were bought in, but we now raise all trees ourselves, fully organically, from seed collected in Ireland. The trees are initially raised in a bed then transfered to a pot at year 2. Monkey Puzzles are very slow growing for the first 5-6 years.
Advice for planting
Trees for planting into final positions should be at least 4 years old and should be kept free of weeds for the first couple of year. When young, Monkey Puzzles are quite susceptible to Honey Fungus - a native fungus found in established woodland - and for this reason are best planted on grassland or other places where there was no previous woodland cover.
Container-grown trees (supplied all year round subject to availability) |
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| Unit Price (euro) | ||||||
| 1 tree | 2 trees | 3-9 trees | 10-49 trees | 50-199 trees | 200 trees+ | |
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 2 yr P9 10-15cm* | n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
4.50 |
4.00 |
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 3yr 3L airpot 15-25cm* | n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
10.00 |
9.00 |
8.10 |
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 4yr 9L airpot 25-40cm | 30.00 |
27.00 |
24.00 |
21.00 |
P.O.A. |
P.O.A. |
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 5yr 25L airpot 40-60cm | 60.00
|
54.00
|
48.00
|
42.00
|
P.O.A.
|
P.O.A.
|
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 6yr 45L airpot 60-80cm | 90.00 |
81.00 |
72.00 |
63.00 |
P.O.A. |
P.O.A. |
| Monkey Puzzle (A.araucana) 7yr 70L pot 80cm+ | 150.00 |
135.00 |
120.00 |
105.00 |
P.O.A. |
P.O.A. |
| * can be shipped without the pot (barerooted season only). | ||||||
Availability: Most sizes in stock all year round
Grafted trees
Grafted trees will be the same gender as the mother tree from which the graftwood was obtained so buyers will be able to select female or male trees. One male tree will pollinate 5-10 female trees. Flowering on grafted trees begins much earlier than on seed-grown trees, probably within 8-10 years. We hope to have grafted trees available by 2022/23
Monkey Puzzle seeds
We also supply seeds of Araucaria araucana. For more information click here