Monkey-puzzle trees are frequently planted in front gardens of houses in the UK and many other countries. This one is no exception but the background to the planting is a little more attractive than usually encountered. Photographs taken February 2010 in western Scotland, I was surprised to see this tree in the garden of the house we were renting for the week. (The shed small branches that can be gathered from underneath the tree make very good kindling for starting a fire, btw.)
Iirc, the house was built at the tail-end of the 1800's I imagine the age of the Monkey-puzzle to be similar, ie over 100 years, but would appreciate any comments from experts who could better estimate the age based on the pictures.
Here are female cones from last year, from a tree near me in Vancouver, with one cone breaking apart on the tree, and the seeds on the ground.
I read that these cones are unpleasant to have fall on you, but I got the idea looking at this tree that the cones all break apart on the tree. I've never seen one on the ground. Maybe in a different climate.
I might get up the nerve to try eating the seeds. Everything I read indicates that they're tasty. Or maybe after they've been soaking up the rain and snow, it's not such a good idea.
[Edited]I'm a little confused about these seeds. I don't know of any male for at least a couple of miles from here. Aren't these seeds? How did it do that?
UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 2,609
Re: Araucaria araucana
I collected a handful of seeds this fall. I sampled one raw, at that time. It did not taste bad, but was not really what I would call tasty. Maybe they need to be roasted first? I have a few left in my office. I just opened one. It is now dry and hard as rock, so I guess I will have to wait til next year to try eating them again.
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Eric La Fountaine
Forums Administrator
Here are female cones from last year, from a tree near me in Vancouver, with one cone breaking apart on the tree, and the seeds on the ground.
I read that these cones are unpleasant to have fall on you, but I got the idea looking at this tree that the cones all break apart on the tree. I've never seen one on the ground. Maybe in a different climate.
They break up on the tree, so you just get a shower of loose seeds, not too bad even with a direct hit. The nasty one is Bunya (Araucaria bidwillii), where the 3-5 kg cones fall intact. They can be lethal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wcutler
[Edited]I'm a little confused about these seeds. I don't know of any male for at least a couple of miles from here. Aren't these seeds? How did it do that?
Most of yours look empty (unpollinated). Viable seeds are plump, solid and heavy; empties are hollow 'squashable', or else flat. The pollen can blow long distances (10 km or more) so you can get some viable seed from trees as isolated as yours, though not many, maybe just one or two per cone instead of dozens where pollination is good with male trees close by.
The large pale seeds are what viable seeds look like:
