Monkey puzzle
Araucaria araucana
Also called Chilean pine
Garden plant · TreesEndangered in the wild and planted in Victorian front gardens all over Britain. The leaves are genuinely sharp — it is not a tree to plant beside a path.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Once a weekWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade, sheltered from cold winds
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 20 m tall · 10 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Chile and Argentina
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-11. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.