[4]: 13_8  The leaves are thick, tough and scale like, triangular, 3–6 cm (1+1⁄8–2+3⁄8 in) long, 5–10 millimetres (25⁄128–25⁄64 in) broad at the base, and with razor-sharp edges and tip.

The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the approximately 5 cm (2 in) long nut-like seeds, which are then dispersed by animals, notably the azure jay, Cyanocorax caeruleus.

[9][10] Covering an original area of 233,000 square kilometres (90,000 sq mi),[11] it has now lost an estimated 97% of its habitat to logging, agriculture, and silviculture.

[11] It is also found in the northeast of Argentina (Misiones and Corrientes), locally in Paraguay (Alto Paraná), growing in low mountains at altitudes of 500–1,800 metres (1,600–5,900 ft) and in northern regions of Uruguay where it was thought to be extinct until recent discoveries.

Araucaria angustifolia trees play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape and fostering ecological diversity in southern Brazilian highlands.

[14][15] The crowns of these iconic trees foster a unique microenvironment that positively influences the structure and diversity of plant communities [16] According to one calculation it has lost an estimated 97% of its habitat to logging, agriculture, and silviculture in the last century.

[1] Araucaria angustifolia is a popular garden tree in subtropical areas, planted for its unusual effect of the thick, 'reptilian' branches with a very symmetrical appearance.

The city of Lages, in Santa Catarina, holds a popular pinhão fair, in which mulled wine and boiled Araucaria seeds are consumed.

[18] While A. angustifolia is a main species and dominant in South Brazil, it's also grown as an ornamental plant in parks of towns and cities of Chile, from Santiago to Valdivia.

[19] The hybrid Araucaria angustifolia × araucana is thought to have first arisen "in a plantation forestry environment in Argentina sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century".