Garden Photo of the Day

Monkey puzzle!

Michelle Gervais, Associate Editor

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Photo: Colleen Fitzpatrick

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Monkey puzzle TREE, that is. This is one fascinating tree. The monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana, USDA Hardiness Zones 7-11) is native to Chile and Argentina (the Andes, more specifically), and can grow up to 80 feet tall and 30 feet wide. It's coniferous, and its cones can grow up to 6 inches long. We've heard stories of them being quite dangerous when they fall from the tree. The tree itself is a potential hazard if planted too near a heavily traveled area, since the  scale-like "leaves" are quite sharp. No matter the danger, the tree is fascinating, though it's not for small gardens. We spotted this specimen while touring gardens in the northwestern U.S.

The wikipedia page on this plant is fascinating--check it out here! Do you grow this tree? If so, tell us about it in the comments below.

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The Midas touch

Comments (5)

grandmachris writes: I'd read of these trees in children's books from other countries when I was a child. We finally saw one. It was in the garden of our hotel on the Isle of Skye!! Like a dream come true. Posted: 1:51 pm on March 5th

sheilaschultz writes: I've loved this tree since I first saw it in CA many years ago. In Argentina, it was spectacular! Posted: 4:47 pm on February 22nd

PeonyFan writes: Thanks for this beautiful photo, you can really see the sculptural qualities of the branch structure. The first time I saw a specimen of this tree was in a small "pocket park" by the Galeries Lafayette in Paris--far from its native haunts. Posted: 9:15 am on February 22nd

stanhorst writes: That is an amazing tree! Posted: 9:10 am on February 22nd

MzSweetpea writes: This is the first time I've ever seen this tree since I was a child! There was a huge monkey tree in the front yard of my Dad's Mortuary....yes you read correctly....the birds loved to be in it....and on Saturday my sister and I picked up the fallen cones with gloves before funerals....very prickly but stately tree! This was in Petaluma, California, about 45 minutes north of the Golden Gate bridge.
Thanks for highlighting....Laura Posted: 8:15 am on February 22nd

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