The monkey puzzle is a tree in Chile that is sacred to the local Pehuenche people. They use the seeds for food. What’s odd is the fact that Chile has no monkeys yet this tree is called the monkey puzzle. Its name possibly comes from the illusion that it would be a real puzzle for monkeys to climb up its whorls of spiny leaves. Another amazing fact is that this tree was alive for 200 million years ago, which means it also existed with the dinosaurs! This tree can live for 1000 years and grow as tall as 50m and a diameter of 3m. Its habitat is on slopes of volcanoes. This is possible since the seeds (which take 2 yrs to mature) are fire-resistant and cannot be harmed by lava. It thrives in well-drained and slightly acidic soils. It is usually found above 1000m altitude in its natural habitat. The monkey puzzle is also important for its wide range of uses such as making railway sleepers to access the coal fields, steel works, paper mills and ceramics industries around the port at the industrial heart of Chile. It’s timber was also used for general carpentry, skis, piano interiors, oars, aeroplanes etc. Now that it is realized how astonishing this tree is, it is also important to know that in 1976, they were declared ‘natural monuments’ and their felling was strictly prohibited due to the heavy logging it had experienced. However, they are still endangered, even after national nature reserves were set up to protect them.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 