The monkey puzzle tree is native to
south-central Chile and south western Argentina but is cultivated in
other areas of the world including the British Isles. Other names include monkey tail tree, Chile pine, pino araucana, araucaria, pino
Chileno and pinonero. It is known as a living fossil and is a
prehistoric tree dating back 210 million years ago to the Triassic
period. It probably became extinct in the northern hemisphere around
65 million years ago.
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| Mature tree by Prashanthns - Wikimedia Commons |
The monkey puzzle tree is a slow growing long lived evergreen conifer with very sharp blade-like leaves. It will grow to around 30 metres in height with a spread of around 15 metres. There are twenty known species found around the world. It is often grown in the British Isles as an ornamental. However, it is now becoming popular as a food crop since it produces large edible nuts.
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| Young monkey puzzle trees |
This important tree is listed as
endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) Red List Category - “Within the Andes and the Coastal
Cordillera of Chile the population is severely fragmented and there
is a continuing decline in its AOO due to a range of debilitating
factors including fire, logging and overgrazing.” It is also listed
on Appendix I of CITES which strictly regulates the trade in its
timber and seeds.
Growing methods
A male and female tree are required to
produce seed. Plant at least one male tree to seven female trees.
There are male and female cones. Female cones are large, round and
dark brown ranging from 12 to 20 cm in diameter. They develop in two
to three years.They fall off of their own accord at maturity. When
dried their split into three and produce 200 seeds. These are quite
large at around 3cm long by 1 cm wide.
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| Left: the leathery outer skin. Top right: the papery inner skin. Bottom right: all skins removed. |
The seeds have no dormancy and should be planted when freshly harvested. Plant them in pots or in the ground with the pointed end down. They will germinate at around 20 degrees C within two to four weeks. However, they may take longer and, unless the seeds have rotted, they may still germinate. Seeds will take longer to germinate at a lower temperature and they can be kept in the fridge to delay germination. Check seeds regularly and once a strong white root has emerged pot them on. Seeds that haven't germinated may be re-inserted back into the seed compost. When potting the seedlings on be careful not to break the root. It is best to use a stick or pencil to make a hole before inserting the root into new compost. Roots snap off quite easily.
Protect the growing seedling from harsh
winter weather and plant out into their final position during the
following spring or summer. They can be kept in pots for several
years. However, all trees usually grow better the sooner they are
planted into their final position. The monkey puzzle tree prefers
well-drained slightly acid soil but will tolerate any type of soil.
Producing heavy crops during cool summers, it grows well in the cool
temperate climate of the British Isles.
A. araucana is predominantly dioecious and its seed is gravity-dispersed or by birds and animals. It is pollinated by the wind. Asexual reproduction by root suckering has been reported (Schilling and Donoso 1976). Cuttings of half-ripe wood from May to July may be taken to propagate the tree. (Ken Fern, PFAF). However, only epicormic side-shoots should be used. These are shoots that develops from a dormant bud on the main trunk of the tree.
Where this tree does produce seed, it is high yielding. However, these trees are very SLOW GROWING(!) and may not produce seed until they are around 30 to 40 years old, although there are reports of trees producing seed at a much earlier age than this e.g. from 15 years onwards. There is no way of telling the sex of the tree until it flowers. Once the sex of the tree is known, it may be possible to produce female trees from cuttings.
The monkey puzzle tree will tolerate salty winds in coastal areas but not pollution.
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| Monkey puzzle seed with strong root growth |
A. araucana is predominantly dioecious and its seed is gravity-dispersed or by birds and animals. It is pollinated by the wind. Asexual reproduction by root suckering has been reported (Schilling and Donoso 1976). Cuttings of half-ripe wood from May to July may be taken to propagate the tree. (Ken Fern, PFAF). However, only epicormic side-shoots should be used. These are shoots that develops from a dormant bud on the main trunk of the tree.
Where this tree does produce seed, it is high yielding. However, these trees are very SLOW GROWING(!) and may not produce seed until they are around 30 to 40 years old, although there are reports of trees producing seed at a much earlier age than this e.g. from 15 years onwards. There is no way of telling the sex of the tree until it flowers. Once the sex of the tree is known, it may be possible to produce female trees from cuttings.
The monkey puzzle tree will tolerate salty winds in coastal areas but not pollution.
Other uses
The resin of the tree is used to treat
wounds and ulcers. The timber from the monkey puzzle tree is straight
and of a good quality. However, it is now illegal to fell any trees
from the wild. Its rarity and vulnerable status means the wood is
rarely used now. Unlike most conifers, this tree can be coppiced.
Raw edible parts
The seeds are edible raw or cooked.
They are large in size with a vaguely triangular shape and similar in
appearance to a brazil nut. Fresh nuts taste a little like a uncooked
chestnut or maybe a fresh green hazelnut. Ensure they are ripe before
eating raw. Dried monkey puzzle nuts are more like a dried chestnut
and are quite hard and dry. Dried nuts can be ground down to make a
flour.
The seed is an important source of
carbohydrates for the native people living in the south of Chile
where it is eaten raw, boiled or toasted. The pinon seeds are
composed of starch (64%), dietary fibre (25%), total sugar (7%) and
very low concentrations of phenolic compounds, lipids, proteins and
crude fibre.
Sources of seed for home growing
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