Why are monkey trees called that?
Did you know? The monkey puzzle gets its scientific names, Araucaria araucana, from the Araucanian people who live alongside the tree. The monkey puzzle gets its odd common name from a story stating upon seeing the tree, someone remarked ‘It would puzzle a monkey to climb that’. The common name of Monkey Puzzle Tree comes from a comment from an Englishman, Archibald Menzies in the 1800’s, who thought it would certainly be a puzzle for a monkey to climb. As there are no monkeys native to the area in which this tree is indigenous, this name has spawned many false stories.Where to grow a monkey puzzle tree. Grow in a sheltered spot in full sun or partial shade in fertile, moist but free-draining soil. Give it plenty of space as it will ultimately reach a height and width of 25m x 10m – this tree is only suitable for a large garden.First, the Monkey Puzzle prefers full sun or partial shade (generally 3 to 6 hours of sunlight daily). If you live in an area with particularly hot summers, planting the tree somewhere that gets extra shade in the afternoon is ideal. Once you’ve got your ideal location in terms of sunlight, you’re good to go.Story of the Tree The monkey puzzle tree is a very unusual coniferous tree from South America that can grow over 150 feet tall. It has a very upright, formal shape. Its prickly leaves may pose a challenge for climbing monkeys, hence the name monkey puzzle tree. This tree is the national tree of Chile.
What is another name for a monkey tree?
Araucaria araucana, commonly called the pewen, monkey-puzzle, pehuen or piñonero or Chile pine, is an evergreen tree belonging to the family Araucariaceae and growing to a height of 30–40 m (98–131 ft) and a trunk diameter of 1–1. Monkey Puzzle Tree is the hardiest of these species. It is a large, stately evergreen conifer native to the volcanic hills of the Andes mountains in southern Chile and western Argentina. It is the national tree of Chile and thrives in maritime areas with mild, cool, climates.A guest touched the tree’s branch – ouch – then reputedly said: ‘Climbing it would be a puzzler for a monkey. Luckily, monkeys never had to work it out, as there are no monkeys in Chile or Cornwall! The tree was alive 200 million years ago and rubbed shoulders with the dinosaurs.
What is a monkey tree good for?
Monkey puzzle trees are most often used as landscape trees in suburban neighborhoods and specimen trees in botanical gardens. However, in cool maritime climates it has the potential to be a useful canopy species in edible forest gardens. Very slow growing, the annual growth rate is around 35 cm. Trees in their native Chile have survived for up to 1000 years! Monkey Puzzle Trees can only be pruned successfully when young, but they do not need pruning to maintain their distinctive shape.