Identifying conifers

What says Christmas more than a Christmas Tree?? 

Presents.. Snow.. Nativity.. Family.. Christmas lights.. Turkey.. ok OK, can I continue..?

So smarty pants, do you know how to tell the different Christmas trees apart? Well not Christmas trees exactly but conifer trees, that is to say, spruce, fir, pine amongst others.

Conifer trees were amongst the first trees to evolve some 350 million years ago, they are gymnosperms, translating as ‘naked seed’ meaning that their seed is not covered by an ovary (otherwise known as the fruit) like the flowering trees known as angiosperms that evolved much later, more like 125 million years ago. 

Sure, sure, but how do I tell my fir, from my spruce or pine tree? They all look the same! Or do they? Look a little closer and there are some ways to tell them apart. 

The first thing to look for is whether they have needles or scales? If they have needles they will be either a pine, fir, spruce, larch, cedars or juniper. 

If they have scales as leaves, they will be a cypress. Some cypress such as the swamp cypress have leaves but are deciduous so drop these in winter.

Pine:

Needles are soft to touch and joined at the base in 2’s (our native Scott’s Pine) 3’s or 5’s and tend to be longer than other conifers.

Cones hang towards the ground.

Branches tend to be upturned and grow from a ring on the trunk 

Tree shape is roughly triangular

Spruce:

Needles are short and stiff and grow individually from the trunk and branches and are attached with a small woody stalk. The needles are squares so roll easily in the fingers.

Cones hang towards the ground.

Branches tend to be upturned.

Tree shape is that of a typical Christmas tree.

Fir:

Needles are soft and flat, grow individually from the trunk and branches but are attached with a small suction cup.

Cones grow upwards from the branch.

Branches grow more downturned and have wide lower branches.

Tree is also the shape of a Christmas tree but with more space between the branches.

Cedar:

Needles are short and cluster around the twigs all year round.

Cones are barrel shaped with a flat top, papery and grow upwards from the branch.

Branches grow in a spiral from a single trunk. Generally Atlas Cedars have upward pointing tips, Deodar's point downwards and those of the Cedar of Lebanon are flat.

Western red cedar are also tall and majestic trees but with red bark and fern like foliage.

Larch have no needles in winter as they are deciduous and grow in dense clusters in summer.

So now we are armed with a little more knowledge than the person next to us and can sound really intelligent! 

Merry Christmas and have fun tree spotting!

Photo by Henry Schneider