China Fir Tree vs Monkey Puzzle Tree

This week when I emptied the buckets of leftover greenery I used for making Christmas arrangements, I was surprised to find that the China Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, pronounced kun-ing-HAM-ee-a lan-see-oh-LAY-ta) looked almost as fresh as it did when it was cut six weeks ago.

China Fir is a narrow, pyramidal tree reaching heights of 75 feet (50 feet is more common) and 10-30 feet wide. Native to China, they are cold hardy in zones 7-9. They enjoy damp soil and will even withstand occasional flooding, but are also heat and drought tolerant.

This tree is commonly confused with the Monkey Puzzle tree. China Fir leaves are narrow needles around two inches long that taper to a point, while the Monkey Puzzle (Araucaria araucana) leaves are more triangular, are as sharp as razor blades, and are held on the limbs and trunks as well as the stems. China Fir leaves are stiff so the needles can be scratchy, but an encounter with Monkey Puzzle will leave you bleeding like something from a Monty Python movie. I have tried without success to grow a Monkey Puzzle tree in upstate SC, even going so far as to have the long-suffering husband use his tractor to build a berm of soil and mix in Permatill to provide the sharp drainage it requires. I have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours babying the cursed things, all of which died. I refused to accept that one of these pricey trees died within weeks, and even spray painted its dead carcass green so I could pretend for several months. My last attempt was a container version. I have admitted defeat and will not try/invest again.

Evergreen China Fir, unlike the Monkey Puzzle, grows obligingly along my driveway and even in the parking lot islands of a nearby Dollar General. In full sun, the needles take on bronzy tones in winter. My specimen is in partial shade and it remains green year-round. The trunk bark shreds in long strips, revealing a reddish inner bark that is attractive. Seed pods look like tiny artichokes. It is normal for these trees to have a few interior limbs to die. Remove the browned limbs for the most attractive appearance.  I have found that trees sucker freely if their roots are disturbed, so use care to avoid damaging them.

The needles of China Fir are not held quite flat but not whorled either. They are flexible, scratchy but not painful to handle.

Monkey Puzzle leaves are stiff, razor sharp, and appear on the trunk as well as the limbs.

Gardening Resolutions

It is time for New Year’s resolutions. Our annual aspirations tend to repeat, year after year. Lose weight. Save money. Exercise more. Yet, our good intentions wither in a few weeks and we find ourselves still fat, poor and lazy. I limit myself to these garden-related goals.

1. Take a shopping list to the garden center or nursery and purchase only what is on that list. This prevents acquisitions based on plant lust rather than need. Guidelines like “heat-tolerant evergreen conifer that gets 10 to 15 feet tall” are easier to work with than “Emerald Giant Arborvitae.” 

2. All plants must go in the ground within 48 hours of purchase. This keeps me from stockpiling flora that may die of neglect before I get around to planting them.

3. No more hanging baskets.  In my hot climate, they require regular attention to thrive or even to survive. I hate to water. I have the sad physical evidence to support that statement.

4. Once a tree/shrub/perennial has died three times under my care, it is time to admit defeat and move along. Read on for a personal illustration.

Multiple times, I have purchased a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) and each time it died. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I love plants with thorns or sharp leaves. It was love at first sight when I encountered Monkey Puzzle. The limbs and trunk are covered in triangular leaves that are as sharp as razor blades. The first of those ill-fated trees consumed my entire annual plant purchase budget. My long-suffering husband bled after he wrestled the eight-foot Weapon-Of-Mass-Destruction into a perfect planting hole. I applied tender, loving care but the wretch died within six months. I refused to say goodbye to my investment, and I applied green spray paint (Krylon rattle cans) to the dead tree several times. The husband finally put a stop to this and used our tractor’s front-end loader to haul the bright green carcass away. When I returned to the nursery which I purchased the tree, they told me that (1) the other four specimens they sold had also been reported dead by their purchasers and (2) “No guarantees. Sorry.” (That garden center is now out of business.)
I may be stubborn but I am not stupid, so the next two Monkey Puzzle trees were smaller and cheaper. The first died within a year. The final attempt was planted into a large container filled with a combination of PermaTill and quality potting soil. It survived three years, dying one limb at a time while inexplicably sprouting new growth. Finally, it succumbed. No more chances, Monkey Puzzle. No more.

Happy New Year to you and yours. May all your 2020 gardening endeavors be successful.

A young Monkey Puzzle tree, in a 24-inch container.

Same tree, dead and awaiting deposit upon the compost pile.