Family: Araucariaceae

Araucaria araucana (commonly known as the Chilean pine or monkey puzzle tree) is an ancient conifer native to the temperate rainforests of Chile and Argentina. This slow-growing evergreen is easily recognized by its unique, spirally arranged, sharply pointed leaves and its tall, symmetrical form that can reach up to 30–40 meters in height. The species is long-lived, often surviving for hundreds of years, and is prized as an ornamental tree for its unusual appearance and resilience to cold. It prefers well-drained soils and full sun and is often planted in botanical gardens and landscapes worldwide as a living fossil, representing one of the oldest surviving tree lineages on Earth.

In Hawaii, A. araucana is cultivated occasionally as a specimen tree in gardens and parks but has not shown signs of naturalization or spread beyond cultivation. The species produces large, heavy seeds that are not easily dispersed, limiting its potential to escape into surrounding areas. In spite of its longevity and adaptability, it is considered a low-risk and safe planting choice for Hawaii. Its distinctive form and slow growth make it a unique, non-invasive addition to ornamental landscapes across the islands.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in the United Kingdom
  
• Rigid spines on the trunk and leaf tips
  
• Tolerates moderate to heavy shade
  
• Tolerates many soil conditions (and potentially able to exploit many different habitat types)
  
• Occurs in pure stands in native range
  
• Can produce sucker sprouts in natural stands (spread vegetatively)
  
• Able to coppice and tolerate fires

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite ability to naturalize, no negative impacts have been specified
  
• Palatable to grazing animals (may limit spread in introduced range, but threatens tree in native range)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Self-incompatible (dioecious)
  
• Long time to reproductive maturity (20+ years)
  
• Landscaping and ornamental value
  
• Timber tree
  
• Large, edible seeds, unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed
  
• Seeds recalcitrant, and unlikely to persist in the soil