The monkey-puzzle tree's look is as interesting as its name. It's almost prehistoric looking with its fiercely sharp needles and large stature.

"The tree is so open in habit you could almost look at it and not see it," said Ed Gilman, professor environmental horticulture at University of Florida.

It grows to 70 feet tall and 35 feet wide with a loose, pyramidal shape. Sharp needles are densely arranged on sometimes droopy branches. It's an eye-catching species that could command an equally eye-catching price. Try marketing it to a zoo, theme park or estate.

"It makes an attractive, novelty specimen for a large, open yard or commercial landscape," Gilman said. "It is normally planted as an oddity someplace in the rear of a landscape."

The hardiest of its kind

This evergreen is also known as the Chilean pine, and it's the hardiest of the Araucarias. It will survive in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-11.

There is little pruning required, which is a plus because of its razor-sharp needles. For that reason, it's not recommended for use by doors or along walkways.

In the landscape it grows best in full sun in a variety of soil types, including clay, sand, acidic and alkaline soils. It will tolerate some drought conditions, which is somewhat fitting considering it looks like it came from Mars.

There are no major pests or diseases associated with A. araucana, although scale, sooty mold or leaf spots will sometimes attack it.

It's propagated by upright shoot tip cuttings, root cuttings and seeds.

Female cones take two to three years to mature and contain up to 200 large seeds.

A puzzling name

There are some differing stories on the origin of its common name. One story claims someone saw the tree and stated, "It would puzzle a monkey to climb this tree." While another account said the name came from the way the sparsely branched ends of the limbs resemble intertwined monkey tails. Either way, it's a fun tree to talk about. Think of the fun you could have with point-of-purchase material for this species.

Some cultivars

A. araucana 'Andenzwerg' is a dwarf variety. 'Angustifolia' has more narrow and elongated branches than the species. 'Aurea' features golden-yellow foliage.

— Kelli Rodda

SPECIFICS:
Name: Araucaria araucana
Common name: Monkey-puzzle tree, Chilean pine.
Family: Araucariaceae.
Description: Evergreen with large branches filled with sharp needles. Pyramidal shape grows to 70 feet tall.
Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zones 7b-11.
Propagation: Upright shoot tip cuttings, root cuttings and seeds.
Landscape uses: Specimen tree in a novelty or Oriental-style landscape.
For more: Ed Gilman, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, 100 Mehrhof, Building 559, P.O. Box 110675, Gainesville, FL 32611-0675; (352) 392-1831; egilman@ufl.edu.

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© 2006 Branch-Smith Publishing