I should pay more notice to this Monkey Puzzle tree in our garden.
Monkey Puzzles are native to the slopes of the South American Andes… not Shropshire. They arrived here after a dinner hosted by the Governor of Chile in 1795, when naturalist Archibald Menzies was served pine nut seeds. He pocketed a few, they germinated on the voyage home and were planted on his return.
Someone said that climbing one of these trees ‘would puzzle a monkey.’ The name stuck… and these exotic evergreens became fashionable in Victorian country gardens.
Our Monkey Puzzle isn’t a 150 year-old Victorian specimen. It was a relative tiddler when we moved here in the 90s, planted a few years before in the kitchen courtyard rockery. My Dad loved it – thought it needed more space – and had a tree specialist transplant it to its current location.
Those scale-like leaves look pretty but are rock hard and super sharp. As the tree has grown other well-protected specialists have occasionally been round to remove the lower branches. Otherwise Mum might injure herself when standing up from tending the flower bed underneath.
My home office is in the corner of the house nearest the Monkey Puzzle. I sometimes see passers-by pausing to take in the sight.
Reminds me to do the same.
Andrew Greenhalgh 