Please help ID Tree in Germany

Recently I visited Munster, Germany and saw a wonderful tree in one of the local gardens.

I am quite certain that it is not native to Germany and I would be very grateful if someone could identify it for me.

Evergreen - about 60 feet tall - shaped like a Norway Spruce with long drooping branches totally covered in thick pine-cone like scales. Bark was scale-like also

Looks like something from a Sci-Fi movie or the Stone Age. My family teased me because I was totally fascinated by this exotic thing!

Thanks Glenda Brown

 

Sounds like the monkey puzzle tree.

 

Hi Ron

Wow, that was a speedy response. Just looked at images for your suggestion and yes indeed my mystery tree is a Monkey Puzzle! Thank you so much. Now I can get information for my trip scrap book to go with the many shots I took of MY TREE!

Once again thanks.

 

Not hardy in Ontario, it needs mild winters.

 

Wow also. You are scary good Ron B.
Was the biggest clue from the description of the plant as being "covered in thick pine-cone like scales"?

Thanks for the post Glenda. And Michael, thank you for posting the images, fascinating plant indeed.

 

Monkey Puzzle may not be ' young seedling winter hardy ' but at present I know there are a few gardening folks attempting to grow 3 + year old plants in the warmest sections of Ontario ( Niagara to Windsor corridor ) Some SW Ontario gardeners are having success with Magnolia Grandiflora cultivars even tho the plants look very sickly for the first winter or two .
If you cannot grow Monkey Puzzle because of the cold hardiness factor then try the much hardier AND less dangerous , sciadopitys verticillata AKA Umbrella Pine . Happy Growing !!

 

I am uncertain if the Umbrella Pine (Sciadopity v.) will thrive in SW Ontario, but good luck!

 

Sciadopitys should be perfectly hardy in southern Ontario - it'll take at least -30°C no problems, whereas Araucaria araucana is killed if it drops much below -20°C.