Araucaria araucana
Other common names
Chile Pine. Indigenous: Pehuén
Origin of the species name
Araucaria is derived from the tribe name Aracanos; araucana is derived from the same tribe name.
Family
Araucariaceae
Date planted
October 2009
Lifespan
Monkey puzzles can live for over 1,000 years.
General description
This is a large evergreen tree which loses its branches for over two thirds of the single trunk, resulting in a high and open crown. The bark is grey-brown, resinous and smooth. The long lasting, shiny green leaves are triangular, scale-like and have a very sharp tip. The very large cones are dark brown and almost round. Height 35m Spread 15m.
Natural distribution and habitat
The species is native to south-central Chile and west central Argentina. Its native habitat is the lower slopes of the south-central Andes, growing above 1,000 metres up to the timberline in regions with sometimes heavy snowfall and extreme temperatures.
Conservation status
Internationally, it is registered as a threatened species. Since the colonial period, it has been heavily exploited as a construction timber, especially in the mining industry. In Argentina in 1960 its felling was prohibited and the principal remaining stands fall under the jurisdiction of national parks. However, areas of the wild forest outside of parks have been lost and it has been highly fragmented.
Uses
The seeds are edible, similar to large pine nuts, and are extensively harvested in Chile. An indigenous group living in the Andes, the Pehuenches, owe their name to their diet based on harvesting of the Araucaria seeds. In the Andes, its distribution is closely associated with volcanic activity and it is able to start colonising areas after volcanic eruptions before other tree species. It is the national tree of Chile.
Planting pattern
Irregular.
Further reading
Farjon, A (2010) A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Brill.