If I were to plant a monkey puzzle tree to secure a foundation of dirt from sliding or eroding would it work. Does the root system have the potential of preventing slides and such? If so how big would the tree need to be?
It is unclear how large of area you are looking to cover. You can plant your monkey puzzle tree on a slope provided you have deep soil without a lot of rock or clay, however, don't expect it to control errosion except in that immediate area. Monkey puzzle trees, like many of their family members, primarily secure themselves by driving a deep tap root, unlike say--maples and oaks which tend to have relatively shallow, but spreading root systems. On slopes, many have found the "ground-hugging" juniper varieties work well at preventing errosion. I think if you mix in a variety of tall, medium, and low-growing trees and bushes, you can make an attractive presentation and control errosion effectively.
