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The monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is native to the foothills of the Andes mountains in Chile and Argentina. This living fossil is considered to be the nearest relative to the trees of the Carboniferous period (300 million years ago). The tree definitely has a prehistoric look, with its heavy coating of overlapped, spiny leaves.
Those very sharp leaves are what give the monkey puzzle tree its name. Observing the tree's spiny armor, a 19th-century Englishman purportedly commented that climbing the tree would be quite a puzzle for a monkey. (Never mind that there are no monkeys in the monkey puzzle tree's indigenous region.)
The monkey puzzle tree was brought to England in the late 18th century by Archibald Menzies. While visiting Chile, Menzies was served some of the tree's edible seeds. Having never seen them before, he pocketed some of them, several of which sprouted on his voyage back to Europe. This unusual tree quickly found its way into the rare-plant gardens of Europe and later North America. Araucaria araucana is a relatively common sight as an ornamental tree in Pacific Northwest.
The monkey puzzle tree is dioecious, meaning that there are both male and female specimens of the tree, both of which are needed for the production of viable seeds. The female tree produces large, round cones while the male produces cucumber shaped, dangling cones. Without a pollenating male, the seeds of the female Araucaria araucana are mostly or completely hollow.
Unfortunately, the monkey puzzle tree may be headed for extinction, according to the Global Trees Campaign. During 2001-2002, thousands of hectares of Araucaria araucanaforests in Chile were destroyed by fire. The tree is listed in Appendix I of CITES, meaning that international trade of the tree is forbidden.
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Posted by mike at August 6, 2005 04:18 PM
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Good article. Another very interesting tree is the Ginkgo biloba, a living fossil, on our planet for about 270.000.000 years! Read more on my forum and homepage.
Posted by: Cor Kwant at November 29, 2005 05:33 AM
I have a version of this tree in my yard in Atlanta, GA. I love the thing, but other family members want to cut it down; because it is in the way. It has three or four trunks radiating upward probably 40 feet in the air. Grows under two other very large pine trees - in the shade somewhat. I want to cut down the pines so people can see it better. It is simply beautiful and is my prized tree. I am hoping to be able to keep it.
Posted by: Gerald Gandy at January 26, 2006 09:01 AM
Howdy,
For any one intrested there is a male speciemen located at the Florida Institute in Melbourne Florida. Absolutely beautiful. The members of TriBeta the National Biological Honor Society encountered it at our National Convention!
Stop by and enjoy!
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie Callahan at June 5, 2006 07:04 AM
