Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree, "Chirimatsu")

Japanese name: チリマツ
Scientific name: Araucaria araucana

[Overview]
An evergreen coniferous tree reaching 30–40 m in height and 1–1.5 m in diameter.
The bark peels off in scales.
Thick branches extend horizontally; the crown is at first broadly conical, but in mature trees the lower branches fall and it becomes umbrella-shaped.
The leaves are densely arranged in a spiral, alternate and covering the branches; they are triangular, 3–4 cm long, sharply pointed at the tip, thick and hard.
The leaves are long-lived, about 24 years.
It is usually dioecious, but may also be monoecious.
The male inflorescences are elliptical to cylindrical and borne at the branch tips, at first about 4 cm long, becoming 8–12 cm long and 5–6 cm in diameter when mature.
The female inflorescences are nearly spherical and borne at the branch tips.
The cones are 12–20 cm in diameter, take 2–3 years to ripen, and contain about 200 seeds.
The seeds are reddish brown and triangular-pyramidal, 3–4 cm long.

[Uses]
This group is counted as one of the world's three great park trees.
The seeds are edible.
The wood is also useful, but it is not currently used because the tree is designated an endangered species.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
For seed, sowing immediately after collection is best, but if refrigerated the seed can still germinate the following year.
The optimum germination temperature is around 25°C.
For cuttings, use only the tip of the main trunk.
If side branches are used, they grow only sideways and do not develop the proper tree form.
It is cold-hardy and tolerates down to −20°C.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
For potted plants, from spring to autumn water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
In spring and autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
Scale insects can occur.

[Notes]
It is the national tree of Chile.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)