Hope thieves can’t solve secret tree glen puzzle

Monkey puzzle trees in Tay Forest Park in secret spot due to theft threat

The details of a major conservation project are being kept secret because plant thieves keep robbing Perthshire of some of its most important tree species.

Plant hunters from across Scotland have been involved in efforts to thwart the depredations of Chilean Monkey Puzzle thieves.

Their actions have seen the plant join the endangered list and have seen cuttings taken from South America and transported around the world to ensure their survival.

Forty young monkey puzzles planted have all been grown from seed collected in Chile several years ago and raised in the nurseries at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Now, they have been planted in the Tay Forest Park in Perthshire, where it is hoped they will thrive.

The exact location of the new monkey puzzle glen is, however, a closelyguarded secret due to fears they could be targeted by tree-rustlers.

The trees are the latest to be planted in Perthshire to contribute to the conservation of conifers from around the world, which are threatened with extinction in their native habitats.

Doug Howieson, forest district manager for Forest Enterprise Scotland in Tayside, said: “Very sadly, some thieves targeted young Serbian spruce trees planted on Kinnoull Hill near Perth before Christmas and they struck again earlier this spring.

“Monkey puzzle trees are still very popular in gardens and expensive to buy, so we want to keep the exact whereabouts of this new grove confidential until they are well established.”

Tom Christian, project officer for the Perthshire Conifer Conservation Programme (PCCP), said conifer trees – of which the monkey puzzle is one of the most important species – were under threat around the world.

“Over one third of the world’s 650 or so conifer species are facing extinction in their native habitats,” he said.

“This list includes trees that we are very familiar with here in Scotland, like the monkey puzzle from Chile and the giant redwood from California.

“Since 2008, the PCCP has planted hundreds of trees representing dozens of threatened species in designed landscapes and forests across Perthshire.

“Scotland has a long history of growing trees from all around the world here, so we know what will and won’t grow here, as well as where and how we can make significant contributions to global tree conservation, like the ‘ex-situ’ work we’re doing with these monkey puzzle tees.”

Giant monkey puzzles in their native Chile, above, and, right, one of those planted somewhere in Tay Forest Park.