Emma Cooper

Oooh, monkey puzzles. How lovely – and the shadows look like they are dancing. I can never remember if they are one of those where you have to wait til fruiting (or not) to find out if you have the right mix of sexes?

I’m sorry about your little bugs – never come across them before, having only met Eleagnus things in municipal planting. If I couldn’t find any other advice I’d go for sponging with soapy water, and maybe replacing some of the top layer of soil (in case their life cycle involves burrowing to lay/pupate etc?). But I’m just surmising with no evidence to back up my ideas (it’s the internet, that’s practically mandatory?).

Dancing monkey puzzles! I shall call them the Scissor Sisters :) but yet, it will be a while before I find out whether they are different sexes.

I had a look for information on how to deal with the suckers, but didn’t come across anything helpful, so your plan is as good as any :D

Interesting choices you’ve made. Two crop-producing plants almost totally neglected as such.

I don’t know if the story is true, but supposedly Monkey Puzzles got to the UK as a food item—on the plate of the British Viceroy who was reputedly served the nuts at a state dinner. But I am puzzled why they would have been served raw instead of toasted. At least, they must have been raw if they subsequently sprouted! He pocketed them instead of eating them.

Chile seems to have rather a lot of potential food plants little utilized, especially outside of that country. I’m adding a few to my collection. I need a source of fresh Empetrum rubrum seed.

I’d like to trial Eleagnus as berry-producers too, but I need to identify a compatible species—or else a different clone—that will cross-pollinate; I think they’re mandatory out-breeders. And, the cross has to be chosen to produce desireable seedlings, because I’ll have to sell them as seeds not plants.

Haven’t actually ever eaten one of the berries—here they are sold almost exclusively as clones and almost never produce any, except when a compatible species is planted nearby. But when that happens—you actually get ripe sweet fruit in March which is mind-boggling.

Monkey puzzles came to my knowledge while living in Florida. There are several in various places that definitely stand out. We even grew some from seed for awhile before we left the state.