Monkey Puzzle

A common sight in the suburbs of Johannesburg, Araucaria araucana, commonly known as the "monkey puzzle tree". The tree is native to Chile and Argentina and has been grown in gardens in South Africa for several generations. By the way, the photo doesn't need "cropping and straightening" as this is the way the tree grows in this country. The original seed imported to South Africa contained a genetic quirk that results in the bowed form of the tree and every one of the thousands of monkey puzzles growing here exhibit this form. Incidentally, the name derives apparently from comments made years ago that climbing the tree "would puzzle a monkey" which later became the "monkey puzzler" and then the "monkey puzzle".