Araucaria ID

[Tomas]

Is it possible to identify this Araucaria? It grows in a local villa, in a non particularly protected spot and surely survived the 1985 century freeze that killed all the A. heterophylla in Rome. The leaves are different from those of A. heterophylla.

Tomas

[Eric in Orlando]

Araucaria cunninghamii, Hoop-Pine

[edbrown_III]

wow -  and salute -- I grow this one in Jax --- I have 2- 50 footers in the garden 

[bubba]

How is this tree different from the Monkey Puzzle tree in cold tolerance and distribution?

I recall a book on New Orleans gardening in which the author lamented her inability to locate any Monkey Puzzle trees in NO. They obviously grow in Jacksonville so why not New Orleans? Perhaps they do now.. Is anyone in New Orleans growing Monkey Puzzle trees?

[Austinpalm]

1 hour ago, bubba said:

How is this tree different from the Monkey Puzzle tree in cold tolerance and distribution?

I recall a book on New Orleans gardening in which the author lamented her inability to locate any Monkey Puzzle trees in NO. They obviously grow in Jacksonville so why not New Orleans? Perhaps they do now.. Is anyone in New Orleans growing Monkey Puzzle trees?

I believe that Monkey Puzzle is from Argentina/Chile while the Hoop Pine is from Australia.  Monkey Puzzle is more cold hardy,  There are scattered individuals around Dallas TX which is 8a/8b. I only see Hoop Pine occasionally along the TX coast, as it is sometimes sold as Norfolk Island Pine.  I have tried to grow Monkey Puzzle here in Austin without success.  I think I either need to plant it in the fall or find a larger plant as the seedlings just do not handle our summers well.  I am surprised that Monkey Puzzle does okay in New Orleans and Jacksonville as both would seem to be very hot and humid during the summer.  Perhaps the extra rainfall is the key.

[Xenon]

All I see in TX and NOLA (assuming any survived the big freeze a few years ago) is the tropical species, Araucaria columnaris, aka the fake Norfolk Island Pine. Doubt there are any monkey puzzle trees (Araucara araucana) in the Deep South. Perhaps Atlanta or the lower Piedmont? 

[Chester B]

Huge ancient monkey puzzles all over Portland - zone 8b, big ones are over 70' here. They must not like it too hot, so don't do as well in Texas.  I had 4 footer in a pot, but couldn't find a suitable location for it considering how big they get, so gave it away.

Araucaria bidwillii is supposedly hardy here too.

There is even one growing in Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario, Canada zone 7A.  Been there for years but it is very stunted.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Chester B

[Eric in Orlando]

Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle) does not grow in hot humid climates like the Deep South. In Florida Araucaria bidwillii is sometimes incorrectly called "Monkey Puzzle". There is also Cunninghamia lanceolata (China-Fir) that is occasionally seen in the South and into north FL, sometimes it is also called "Monkey Puzzle". The only other Araucaria commonly seen in FL is Araucaria columnaris, Cook-Pine. It has been incorrectly sold and ID'ed in Florida for decades as Norfolk Island Pine, Araucaria heterophylla. The true A. heterophylla grows fine in FL but is very rare.

[edbrown_III]

there were a few f re ezes that hit Texas and NOLA that  east FL didnt see----  these were in the late nineties and early 2000 (from memory)  Large parts of NO were flooded in 2005 --- I think alot of older trees were taken out---- I lost a A. bidwilli in 1983  -- i bought a second one and planted after 1985 --- it was up against the house in 1989 and somehow survived that freeze..   the A. cunninghamii and A. angustifolia were planted much later ----  they havent seen below 19 or 20 F --- 

 

[Austinpalm]

As mentioned above, I have tried A. araucaria here in Austin along with A. angustifolia, bidwillii, and heterophylla.  Currently, I only have angustifolia.  Approximately 10 feet tall, it is slow but steady growing.  Bidwillii and heterophylla were too cold tender and araucaria too heat intolerant.  Bidwillii would have grown back based on the  sucker coming up from the rootball after the freeze, but I chose to remove it.  Neither aruacaria or heterophylla made it more than a year before kicking the bucket. Just 3 hrs southeast of here in Corpus Christi, one can find several large heterophylla.   

[Turtlesteve]

There is an A angustifolia here in Aiken SC zone 8A too.

I tried planting seeds once but they all rotted without germinating.

Steve

[Austinpalm]

20 hours ago, Turtlesteve said:

There is an A angustifolia here in Aiken SC zone 8A too.

I tried planting seeds once but they all rotted without germinating.

Steve

North Texas Cold Hardy palms had some A. angustifolia for sale recently.  May still have some.  It has been very hardy for me.  Takes the cold and the heat.  I would like to try A. bidwillii again, but just do not have the room for another large tree. 

[RJ]

On 2/8/2020 at 11:40 AM, Austinpalm said:

As mentioned above, I have tried A. araucaria here in Austin along with A. angustifolia, bidwillii, and heterophylla.  Currently, I only have angustifolia.  Approximately 10 feet tall, it is slow but steady growing.  Bidwillii and heterophylla were too cold tender and araucaria too heat intolerant.  Bidwillii would have grown back based on the  sucker coming up from the rootball after the freeze, but I chose to remove it.  Neither aruacaria or heterophylla made it more than a year before kicking the bucket. Just 3 hrs southeast of here in Corpus Christi, one can find several large heterophylla.   

Is your parana pine still going? I have three, two are planted out and one is still in a pot, so far they weathered our winter here fine. My indoor one has put some growth on, but the two outside still haven’t. Now that temps are warming hoping they put some spring growth on. What did you do for watering yours to get it started?

 

in this thread there is a picture of a araucaria in Savanah Georgia . I was very surprised to see it. 
 

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/73766-savannah-gardens/#comment-1156386

Edited March 10 by RJ

[Austinpalm]

Hello RJ,

 

I moved away from Austin (2020 or 2021) just before the worst winter in Austin and much of Texas in 30+ years. The A. angustifolia did not survive the multiple days of high temps in the teens and twenties Fahrenheit.  Sorry that I cannot  provide more help.

 

 

[RJ]

2 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Hello RJ,

 

I moved away from Austin (2020 or 2021) just before the worst winter in Austin and much of Texas in 30+ years. The A. angustifolia did not survive the multiple days of high temps in the teens and twenties Fahrenheit.  Sorry that I cannot  provide more help.

Sorry to hear this. Do you recall about what size it was? How was the growth rate? Just trying to get a idea as to what I might expect. 

2 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

 

 

 

[Austinpalm]

After checking on the date above of my response in 2/2020, it is apparent that I sold the house later that year and the bad freeze was the following February.  The tree was still around 10 feet tall.  It was a slow but consistent grower.  Perhaps it was about to start putting on some speed.  I have no other experience with the species beyond this individual.  I had black clay in the yard in Austin.  Perhaps it would have grown faster in sand or loam.