The Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) is a tall evergreen tree in the Araucariaceae family. It is also known as the Monkey Tail Tree, the Chilean Pine, and the Chile Pine. It is a conifer.
It is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina.
It grows to 30-40 metres (10-130 feet) high. Its trunk is 100-150 centimetres (3-5 feet) in diameter.
The leaves are thick, tough, and triangular with sharp edges. It has male and female cones on separate trees. The male cones (the pollen) are cucumber-shaped, whereas the female cones (the seeds) are rounded and hold about 200 seeds.
The seeds are edible – and similar to pine nuts. They are dispersed in autumn.
Photographed in the Botanical Garden, Paris, August 2021.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
MARTINA NICOLLS