Araucaria

Araucaria are large trees

Image – Wikimedia/O.gomez01

There are large conifers throughout the planet, but the araucaria are, of all those used in gardens, one of the most popular. Although they tend to grow slowly, these plants are beautiful from their youth. In addition, something curious must be said, and that is that they are trees whose origin dates back to the Triassic period, that is, approximately 250 million years ago.

They have an elegant and majestic bearing, to the point that it is highly recommended to plant them isolated so that, when they mature, you can have a general view of them and, therefore, you can admire them better.

Where do araucaria grow?

Araucaria are evergreen conifers that, although they once grew in both the Americas and Eurasia, currently its population is in South America (to be more exact, in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil) and in Oceania.

They are trees that measure 30 meters or more, with leaves that can be wide or narrow depending on the species, and whose fruits are cones that measure about 10 centimeters.

Types of Araucaria

It is believed that there are about thirty varieties of araucaria, but very few are grown for ornamental use. Of course there are reasons for this: there are conifers that grow faster, such as pines, but let me tell you that the beauty of each is different. If you want to have a garden that stands out for being unique, it is certainly more advisable to have an araucaria, even if it grows slowly, than a pine or other common tree.

For example, the most used species in gardening are the following:

Araucaria araucana

The Araucaria is a tall tree

Image – Wikimedia/Vswitchs

It receives the common names of araucaria or pehuén pine, and it is an autochthonous species of the Argentine Patagonia. In an adult state, it is about 50 meters tall and its crown branches several meters from the ground.. It has a life expectancy of about 1000 years, and it also resists moderate frosts.

Araucaria bidwillii

The araucaria is a slow-growing conifer

Image - Wikimedia / John Tann

It is the Australian araucaria, a tree native to Queensland (Australia) which is known as bunya pine. Its trunk is straight and can measure about 40 meters in height.. The cup is very irregular, almost pyramidal in shape at the top. The leaves are green and withstand snow. It can grow in cool climates, with temperatures down to -12ºC.

Araucaria columnaris

The araucaria lives for many years

The Araucaria columnaris is the one marked with an arrow.

It is the araucaria of columnar bearing, or columnar araucaria. It is also called Hook pine, although it is not related to the pinaceae. It can measure about 60 meters in height, and as you might suspect from its name, it has a narrow crown. It is a species endemic to New Caledonia, and today it is widely cultivated in temperate regions with mild winter temperatures.

Araucaria cunninghamii

Araucarias are coniferous trees.

Image – Wikimedia/Juan Carlos López Almansa

In popular language, this conifer is known as Australian araucaria or Australian araucaria. Its trunk rises up to 60 meters high, and over time it develops a pyramidal cup. The cold does not harm it, but it fears strong frosts.

Araucaria heterophylla

View of Araucaria heterophylla

Image sourced from Wikimedia/bertknot

La Araucaria heterophylla it is the one that was previously called araucaria excelsa, and the one that receives the name of pine of floors for its characteristic crown. It is native to Norfolk Island (Australia) it can be about 50 meters tall. It is often used a lot as an indoor tree, a practice that is not entirely recommended since it needs a lot of light. It lives well in tropical and temperate regions with mild winters.

How do you take care of an araucaria?

The araucaria is a conifer that requires little care. We cannot say that it is an all-terrain plant, but it is not excessively difficult to maintain either. If you have purchased a copy, now we are going to tell you what you have to do to make it beautiful:

To begin with, we must bear in mind that it is a conifer that can exceed the height of the house, and that it needs a lot of light, so what we have to do is put it outdoors. Ideally, it should be planted in the garden as soon as possible, in rich and well-drained soil, but we can also choose to grow the araucaria in a pot which we will fill with substrate prepared for green plants (for sale). here) for some years.

If we talk about irrigation, the araucaria should be watered only in the event that it does not rain and the land remains dry for a long time.. In addition, if it is in the ground, as it grows it will gain strength, it will acclimatize more and more and it will not need to be watered frequently. But until that day arrives, it is advisable to water it regularly, throughout the year, but especially in summer.

Likewise, it is advisable to fertilize it during its growing season. This coincides with the warm months of the year, since the cold slows it down. And what to wear? Well, for example, natural fertilizers of animal origin, such as manure or guano.

As you have seen, araucarias are very beautiful trees.


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