Monkey Puzzle tree. Seed collected in Chile in 1994. Located in NW California @ 3000 feet.
Pinus quadrifolia. Seed collected in California 1993
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Such neat trees, Auraucaria. I get excited whenever I encounter one, which is rare. Found some for sale last spring, but they were too pricey for me and marginally hard in zone 6.
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Beautiful! Didn’t know they’re cold hardy.
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Their habitat is in the mountains of southern Chile and Argentina. Grow from 600 to 1700 meters. Zone 6-7. Male and female trees. Takes about 20 years to begin bearing nut cones. Yum!
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There’s some growing in the Modesto Area. Their nuts fall like cannon balls! Very yummy. Modesto is Zone 9b. So I thought they aren’t cold hardy.
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Pinus quadrifolia. Takes about 20-30 years to bear cones. Four needle pine, the needles fit together and it looks like one.
This tree has just begun to produce viable cones.
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Monkey Puzzle failed in zone 6b in Kentucky about 12 years ago…haven’t tried since. But, could have been wet feet rather than the winter low that killed it…as the soil didn’t drain well. bb
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Seed provenance is a factor. I collected these seeds near the top of their range in a cooler region. They seem to grow in well drained gravelly soil.
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