monkey puzzle tree (redirected from Araucaria araucana)

monkey puzzle tree

Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana).

(credit: Ernest Manewal-Shostal)

Evergreen ornamental and timber conifer (Araucaria araucana) of the family Araucariaceae, native to the Andes Mountains of South America. The tree may grow to 150 ft (45 m) in height and 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter. The rigid, overlapping, needle-pointed leaves are spirally arranged on stiff branches, which form a tangled, prickly network that discourages animals from climbing the tree. The Norfolk Island pine is a relative.