Chilean araucaria is a plant of the genus Araucaria, belonging to gymnosperms found in the Southern Hemisphere, South America and Australia. Jas the name suggests, comes from Chile. We can meet her in the Andes - it reproduces perfectly there.It is served by the western side of the mountains, where the moist maritime climate of the Pacific is felt. There is also low rainfall, which is comparable to that in central Poland.
Temperatures in these areas often stay below -10 ° C, and even drop to -20 ° C. Trees grow up to 50 meters in natural conditions, so large specimens are not found in our country. Glossy leaves are dark green also in winter, up to 4 cm long and 3 cm wide.They are hard and resemble scales.
Araukarias are dioecious trees, meaning male and female flowers appear on different trees.Huge cones the size of a handball ball mature up to 3 years, producing up to 200 seeds.They fall most often at the beginning of the third year, but you won't find them under the tree, they are usually located more than 8-12 meters from the trunk.
Conditions favorable to araucaria
These plants grow on almost any soil, they can be found both on sands and in theoretically unfavorable clay. Araucaria, however, likes well-drained soil with lots of bas alt. It must be provided with a well-drained substrate. He does not like soils with standing water or with a high level of groundwater.Prefers a sunny, but quiet position, preferably near a building on the west side. During the growth period, the plant should be watered regularly, but moderately. It is worth knowing that the biggest mistake made in the cultivation of araucaria is inadequate protection of the plant for winter.
Chilean araucaria is grown in Poland. Due to the high humidity of the climate, it is most numerous in the north of Poland. The largest native araucaria is a 9-meter specimen from Władysławowo, brought from the Netherlands in the early 1890s. As the owners emphasize, it was planted in December, when the winters were very snowy.It is a female plant, it produces cones, but not seeds.In this seaside city there are also two smaller, 3-meter-high trees.
Other, equally delightful specimens are the 7-meter-high araucaria in Mrzezina or about 6-meter-long from Szczecin. Larger Chilean araucaria can be found in Białogard, Kołobrzeg, Ustka, Gdańsk, Pruszcz Gdański and in botanical gardens.
When deciding to buy Chilean araucaria, we should be guided primarily by the appearance of plants.They must be he althy, with dark green leaves and at least two tiers of twigs. It is worth remembering that smaller seedlings may have problems with catching up and rooting well in the new soil.
Araukaria is best bought in a garden nursery, because then we will be sure about their quality. Plants from supermarkets usually come from German and Dutch greenhouses.They are therefore driven and not adapted to Polish winters.
Natural protection against cold
Chilean araucarias tolerate frosts down to -20 ° C, but only adult, large specimens.Young should be protected when the temperature drops below - 7 ° C (Pomeranian giants survived temperature drops below -30 ° C without major damage). The best natural heat insulator is snow.
It's good to make a mound of it. The temperature is slightly warmer under the snow than it is outside. When there is no snow, use a white agrotextile that reflects the sun's rays.Let's build a mini-canopy so that it does not rain too much on the plant, because decaying processes can start under the fleece.
In older plants, growth inhibition and necrosis of the oldest shoots may occur, although this is rare.Then they turn brown.As with age, similarly to Norway's pines, the lower branches of the Chilean Araucaria die off.
