Thursday, June 13, 2013

Monkey Puzzle Tree

Since moving to the West Coast in January 2012, I've run into all sorts of botanicals that don't exist in Massachusetts. It's so cool to see how different things grow in such different climates!

We've got gorgeously green grass here from the combination of the ultra rainy and beautiful sunny days...

green grass in vancouver

... palm trees...

palm trees sunset beach vancouver

... these crazy things (this purple ball of a flower is about the size of a small soccer ball!!)...

flowers big pink ball

... and my personal favorite, the Monkey Puzzle tree!

monkey puzzle tree

The Monkey Puzzle is a type of evergreen, and I first encountered it in Portland, OR last year. It's so interesting to look at - its "leaves" remind me of something armored that a dinosaur might have on its back, like a stegosaurus.

monkey puzzle tree

monkey puzzle tree

monkey puzzle tree

Do you have any cool plants or trees growing in your neck of the woods? What's your favorite flora to stumble upon?

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4 comments:

  1. Whatttttt! That Monkey Puzzle Tree is fantastic. It would definitely be my favorite too. Wild!

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  2. I envy your green grass as I water my weak dry blades in drought ridden Sonoma County. And that Monkey Puzzle is incredible. Nice post : )

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  3. Just discovered your blog via Twitter, and love reading your experiences getting to know Vancouver. That purple flower, I think, is garlic, believe it or not! And yeah, the monkey puzzle trees are certainly unique. One of my favourite trees that grows here, mostly in West Van, on the Gulf Islands/San Juan Islands, and immediately on the rocky coast - are arbutus trees. I think in the US they're called madronas, or madrones... but they're a broadleaf evergreen, and they don't lose their leaves, they shed their bark instead. Really weird, but wonderful tree.

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting Robyn!! And wow I am so surprised to find out that's a garlic plant - who would have ever thought they'd look like that?!

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