Hi I'm searching for a Monkey tree. Anyone know where one might purchase a good sized one? Are they hard to grow? What type of soil? thanks in advance.
Monkey Puzzles are seen quite a lot in the Lower Mainland. They thrive & produce fruit. You are in Kelowna, where the climate is very different. I would suggest asking a reliable local garden centre or joining Kelowna Garden Club & quizzing members, before you spend money.
I see Kelowna is on Okanagan Lake. I wouldn't expect the tree to live out there. Likewise, Sunset Publishing has it zoned only for areas west of the Cascades (Sunset 4 and above). On the part of BC that they include in their maps they only extend the west-side climate up the valley around Hope etc., with adjacent mountains and all areas to the east much colder.
Monkey Puzzle Trees grow in Nelson BC (zone 7a) and Kelowna is in the same zone . I would expect they would grow there with proper siting . Here is a picture of one in Nelson : http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=35574&d=1206544081
Yes, I know of another Monkey Puzzle tree in Nelson. It grows close to the lake, in a sheltered location. Nelson is quite far to the East from Hope and, according to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada , in the 5a – 6b zone range.
The one in the picture from Nelson is still small. With landmark trees like this long-term prospects are what count, unless a given party doesn't care if a specimen grows for so many years and then dies.
