Roger's Tree Pick for December: star pine

’Tis the season to be treeing, says I.

The holidays are here and the trees that adorn our homes bring a bit of nature inside to create a festive theme and seasonal spirit.

This month I have chosen the Araucaria species, which come from two opposite parts of the world.

The Araucaria genus can be traced back to the age of the dinosaurs. Fossil evidence indicates that the genus reached its maximum diversity some 65 million years ago during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

At that time, the Araucaria genus occurred in both the northern and southern hemispheres and it wasn’t until the continents drifted and the southern super-continent known as Gondwanaland was formed that Araucaria become solely confined to the southern hemisphere.

These striking trees come from exotic places like the high mountains of Chile, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and the Queensland coast of Australia.

The Araucaria family consists of a dozen or so species. Some of the most notable are detailed below.

Araucaria excelsa (heterophylla)

Also known as “star pine,” Araucaria excelsa is grown throughout the coastal region, where it is warm and relatively frost-free.

This tree has a very pyramidal shape and is very distinctive on the horizon as it becomes a fairly large specimen in the garden, so give it room to grow and spread.

The star pine is sold at this time of year at various garden shops, nurseries and high-end florists and is gaining in popularity year by year. They are also grown in Hawaii as a cut tree for the holidays.

It can be used as a living Christmas tree inside and will grow for a number of years within interiors of the home until it tops the ceiling.

Outside in the garden they can obtain heights of 70-plus feet with spreads exceeding 20 to 30 feet across at the base of the lower branches.

Some of the trees are relatively dense while others have a very open and airy look between their long-armed branches. Some have been recently planted along the I-5 corridor from Encinitas down to La Jolla and are stunning.

The foliage on this species of Araucaria is very soft with whorled micro-needles on the individual leaves of the long branches.

I have grown the star pine out in my botanical garden for some years now and it is a very stately and unique type of tree. I planted them more than 20 years ago and they stand about 25 feet now.

Araucaria bidwillii (bunya)

The bunya pine is a real novelty tree for the collector, large garden, botanical setting or open parklands.

The shape of this mature specimen is pyramidal and is densely clothed with flat, sharp-pointed, glossy dark-green leaves. It can reach even greater heights and size than the star pine.

The fruits (seed pods) of this species are reported to weigh up to 25 pounds each and can be hazardous to your health when out in a bunya-bunya forest.

When these trees come into their huge seed pod stage, the native forests are closed to hikers due to the dangers of falling seed missiles from above. So when you visit the Bunya Mountains of Southern Queensland, take heed of “Warning: bunya-bunya seed pod dropping zone” signs.

Araucaria araucana

Araucaria araucana – the monkey-puzzle tree – is from high in the Andes of Chile and southwestern Argentina.

One of the world’s real curiosity trees for its shape, conformation and whorled branching structure, it comes from a fairly high rainfall area and even is frosted with snow occasionally.

The origin of its unique name is derived from its early cultivation in Britain about 1850, when seeds were brought back from an early botanical expedition to South America.

The tree was very popular in Victorian England and legend has it that an owner of a young tree specimen in Cornwall was showing it to a group of friends. One remarked, “It would puzzle a monkey to climb that,” and the name stuck.

A few months ago my wife and I were on holiday to Scotland and I had my fill of castles and antique shops, so I decided to dedicate my day to the world-renowned Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. So off by bus I went to have a full day of botanical delights just on the outskirts of Edinburgh… and, oh, what a day I had.

While meandering the trails and paths of these huge grounds, I suddenly came upon an opening around a bend and there, planted out in the middle of this expansive lawn, was my first one-on-one encounter with the monkey-puzzle tree.

I was totally awestruck by its presence and sentry-like and sculptural shape. I have seen photos of this tree, I have read descriptions and seen pictures in books about this tree and finally there it was, standing in front of me with sprawling branches saying, “Welcome, Tree Man. It’s about time.”

Upon my return to California I scoured every botanical resource I had at my fingertips on the computer and called up and down the state and could not locate anyone growing these specialty trees for sale.

Finally, as my territory expanded north out of California, I found a nursery up in Oregon, where I ordered a few to be shipped down and this winter shall try to get a few into my landscape setting on the ranch.

There are a number of other species but they are not being commercially grown here in the states.

Down in Queensland there are some commercial forests that have been planted to cultivate some species for the wonderful grained wood that they produce. Araucaria wood is highly sought after by cabinetmakers and it can be turned on a lathe to create exquisite bowls and carvings.

Years ago, when I was working up in Santa Barbara at an orchid ranch, there was a grower who grew a very lovely blue-gray form of the star pine from cuttings. It was a showstopper.

I haven’t seen any of that type since and perhaps it was one of the experiences in life that you come upon and just stash it away in your memory bank as to say, “Oh, yes, I did see that once in my life. Wasn’t I lucky?”

As the holiday season is here, we tend to recreate settings and atmospheres in our homes with trees, garlands and wreaths with festoons of berries, flowers and fruits decorating all parts of our living space.

What a glorious time to also appreciate the green world upon which this tiny blue marble is floating through space.

Cheers to the flora and fauna of the earth.

Editor’s Note: Roger Boddaert is a landscape designer/horticulturist and soils consultant in Fallbrook. He can be reached at (760) 728-4297.