The Monkey Puzzle tree, which was common in Victorian parks, will be added to Bute Park’s diverse and extensive tree collection this week.
Cabinet Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Ramesh Patel, will plant a Monkey Puzzle tree at the northern end of Cooper’s Field, at a ceremony on Wednesday 19th March at midday.
Steeped in history and full of interesting trees, wildlife and horticultural features, Bute Park is the jewel in the crown of Cardiff city center. The aarboretum tree collection is recognised as the best free access collection in any public park in the UK, with over 2,500 trees including 41 UK and Irish Champion trees, the biggest or broadest of their type. Many trees in the collection are rare and endangered in their natural ranges.
The Monkey Puzzle tree, also known as the Chilean Pine, is a native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina, and has recently been re-classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of its declining abundance. The tree will be a striking addition to the collection with its characteristic scale-like foliage.
The Bute Park restoration project – a £5.6m project, supported by a £3.1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has restored some important historic features, provided new facilities and helped tell the story of Bute Park.
Cllr Patel, said: “A Monkey Puzzle tree will be a great addition to the already magnificent collection of trees we have in Bute Park. The gardeners in the park do a fantastic job in maintaining our vast and diverse range of plants.
“The restoration project has enabled us to better understand our collection of trees and to provide further interpretation for the public, including improved labelling of the arboretum. Bute Park is a fantastic place to visit in the heart of the city and I’m delighted to be contributing to the park by planting a Monkey Puzzle tree.”
