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Monkey Puzzle in a pot?

#1 · 14th October 2021, 4:32 pm

I bought a couple of Araucaria araucana (Monkey puzzle trees) recently. The Dutch growers website is short on information, but they say they will grow to 6 metres, and need plenty of space. I bought them to be interesting specimen plants at the street end of my one meter wide borders. I don't know how quickly they grow, but I was hoping I might get 5 years (or so) pleasure out of them before they get too big. And, to get to the question, would planting them in a pot (or a tub) and burying the pot in the ground, ensure that I do have at least 5 years before I have to move them.

#2 · 15th October 2021, 10:46 am

Hello Guest,
What size tree are you starting with? I think that you would be ok starting in a container, but a metre wide border is small when you consider how the branches of a monkey puzzle tree grow outwards, Monkey Puzzles are slow growers, but when mature they do require a lot of area, go for it, and when they get too big, dig up your containers and stand them in front or to the side of your border.

#3 · 16th October 2021, 6:37 pm

Quote from Lee Garden Ninja on 16th October 2021, 6:37 pm

Quote from Guest on 14th October 2021, 4:32 pm

I bought a couple of Araucaria araucana (Monkey puzzle trees) recently. The Dutch growers website is short on information, but they say they will grow to 6 metres, and need plenty of space. I bought them to be interesting specimen plants at the street end of my one meter wide borders. I don't know how quickly they grow, but I was hoping I might get 5 years (or so) pleasure out of them before they get too big. And, to get to the question, would planting them in a pot (or a tub) and burying the pot in the ground, ensure that I do have at least 5 years before I have to move them.

Hi Guest,

Great question about the Monkey Puzzle tree - Araucaria araucana. It's one of the plant worlds 'living fossils' being around for 200 million years around the same time as dinosaurs!! Native to Chile and South America this is one of the most easily eye-catching recognisable evergreen trees!

How tall do Monkey Puzzle trees get?

Now for the awkward bit, they do grow huge. Up to 30-40 meters over their life span. So I'm afraid your 1m deep border may not be big enough given the overhang of the branches and leaves. it depends whether it is far away fromthe house, payment or neighbours.

They really do need plenty of space to be truly appreciated. Although the grower says 6m I've seen some from 1970's gardens at 30 meters taking over the whole garden space. They were often found as a centrepiece in a tiny border because they looked cute for new builds in the 1970s. Poor planning really given how huge they grow and difficult to handle they are. That's why they've managed to survive millions of years!

Monkey Puzzle / Araucaria araucana leaves are lethal:

It's also worth noting that these magnificent trees are very tricky to handle, especially as they get a bit bigger. This is because the leaves are scale like and really sharp. They almost follow a Fibonacci pattern twisting down the branches. If you ever need to cut it down it can be expensive as tree surgeons hate dealing with them as they are so sharp!

Trying to dig it out after a few years will require very heavy-duty gloves and gauntlets and the leaves will easily slice your arms open if you're not careful when they get bigger!

Can I grow a monkey puzzle in a container?

You can grow one in a container for a few years though it will need repotting every couple of years as it grows. As I say across my garden design site, most trees always need to end up in the ground at some point for their development and survival.

What may be a good idea is to choose a large container that you can move and treat the monkey puzzle tree a bit like a living christmas tree. A container may be with wheels so it can be moved. The good news; and there is some, is that mature ones at 5-10 years old can fetch a decent price so maybe bear that in mind. Enjoy it for the next 5-10 years and then sell it to a gardener for a decent price!

A better option may be a UK native fastigiate (tall and skinny) tree like a Birch or even a fruit tree on a rootstock that will be suitable for the border.

However, enjoy it for now in a container and repot each year.

Happy gardening!

Quote from Guest on 14th October 2021, 4:32 pm

I bought a couple of Araucaria araucana (Monkey puzzle trees) recently. The Dutch growers website is short on information, but they say they will grow to 6 metres, and need plenty of space. I bought them to be interesting specimen plants at the street end of my one meter wide borders. I don't know how quickly they grow, but I was hoping I might get 5 years (or so) pleasure out of them before they get too big. And, to get to the question, would planting them in a pot (or a tub) and burying the pot in the ground, ensure that I do have at least 5 years before I have to move them.

Hi Guest,

Great question about the Monkey Puzzle tree - Araucaria araucana. It's one of the plant worlds 'living fossils' being around for 200 million years around the same time as dinosaurs!! Native to Chile and South America this is one of the most easily eye-catching recognisable evergreen trees!

How tall do Monkey Puzzle trees get?

Now for the awkward bit, they do grow huge. Up to 30-40 meters over their life span. So I'm afraid your 1m deep border may not be big enough given the overhang of the branches and leaves. it depends whether it is far away fromthe house, payment or neighbours.

They really do need plenty of space to be truly appreciated. Although the grower says 6m I've seen some from 1970's gardens at 30 meters taking over the whole garden space. They were often found as a centrepiece in a tiny border because they looked cute for new builds in the 1970s. Poor planning really given how huge they grow and difficult to handle they are. That's why they've managed to survive millions of years!

Monkey Puzzle / Araucaria araucana leaves are lethal:

It's also worth noting that these magnificent trees are very tricky to handle, especially as they get a bit bigger. This is because the leaves are scale like and really sharp. They almost follow a Fibonacci pattern twisting down the branches. If you ever need to cut it down it can be expensive as tree surgeons hate dealing with them as they are so sharp!

Trying to dig it out after a few years will require very heavy-duty gloves and gauntlets and the leaves will easily slice your arms open if you're not careful when they get bigger!

Can I grow a monkey puzzle in a container?

You can grow one in a container for a few years though it will need repotting every couple of years as it grows. As I say across my garden design site, most trees always need to end up in the ground at some point for their development and survival.

What may be a good idea is to choose a large container that you can move and treat the monkey puzzle tree a bit like a living christmas tree. A container may be with wheels so it can be moved. The good news; and there is some, is that mature ones at 5-10 years old can fetch a decent price so maybe bear that in mind. Enjoy it for the next 5-10 years and then sell it to a gardener for a decent price!

A better option may be a UK native fastigiate (tall and skinny) tree like a Birch or even a fruit tree on a rootstock that will be suitable for the border.

However, enjoy it for now in a container and repot each year.

Happy gardening!