Monkey puzzle tree

Archibald Menzies introduced the monkey puzzle tree to the UK from South America in 1795. 

Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)

Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)

Did you know?

The Araucaria araucana was initially known as ‘Sir Joseph Banks’ pine’ by visitors who saw it at Kew. The name ‘monkey puzzle’ derives from a comment made by a visitor to one of Banks’ plantings, who said that it would “puzzle any monkey to climb”. It was initially called the ‘monkey puzzler’ but later the 'r' was dropped and it became known as the monkey puzzle. This is something of a misnomer, as no monkeys live within the natural habitat of the tree.

Historical information 

Archibald Menzies was a plant-collector and naval surgeon on board Captain George Vancouver’s 1791–1795 circumnavigation of the globe in Captain Cook’s former ship Discovery. The two roles went hand in hand as, at that time, medicines were primarily derived from plants.

Menzies was served the seeds of the conifer as dessert during a dinner hosted by the governor of Chile. Rather than eat them, he sowed them in a frame on the ship’s quarterdeck and returned to England with five healthy plants. Sir Joseph Banks, Kew’s unofficial director, planted two seeds in his own garden and three at Kew. One survived in the Gardens until 1892.

One monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana), which stands beside the Orangery, was planted in 1978. There are other specimens planted in the Pinetum by the Lake, including two recently collected on a Kew expedition to the tree’s native homeland of Chile.

About this species

Pyramid-shaped, the tree grows 30 or 40 metres high and up to 1.5 metres in girth. Its range encompasses southern Chile and southwest Argentina, where it grows in mixed deciduous and evergreen forests or pure stands. It is well-adapted to fire, volcanic activity having long caused wildfires in its natural habitat.

 

2 comments on 'Monkey puzzle tree'

Bob says

08/02/2010 9:34:08 AM | Report abuse

Monkey Puzzle...or Puzzled Monkey?!

Carol Hepstein says

30/09/2009 4:32:00 PM | Report abuse

Did I read somewhere that they are now quite rare in their native habitat and some species thought to be extinct have turned up in English gardens and thus been re-introduced?

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