The species was first brought to the UK in 1795 from its native areas of Chile and Argentina. It is, in fact, Chile’s national tree. This tree is what ecologists refer to as a ‘pioneer species’. It has been around for 200 million years, meaning it is a survivor from the time of dinosaurs. Its spine-like needles acted as protection from ancient grazing animals, whilst its thick, fire-resistant bark has served as armour against lightning and volcanic activity. It became popular during the Victorian era and is now widely planted as an ornamental in parks and gardens around the world.
Araucaria trees are usually dioecious, with the male and female cones on separate trees. The female seed cones are large, resembling a hedgehog and contain numerous edible seeds, harvested by indigenous peoples in Argentina and Chile.
The name araucana is derived from the native Araucanians who used the nuts (seeds) of the tree in Chile. A group of Araucanians living in the Andes, the Pehuenches, owe their name to their diet based on the harvesting of the A. araucaria seeds. Pehuen means Araucaria and che means people.
Classed as an endangered species in its native habitat, the pewen are one of many ‘red-listed’ trees we have in the collection.
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