Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers Conifers are commonly thought to be synonymous with evergreen trees, which stay green through the year. However, not all conifers- also known as softwoods- remain green and with needles year-round. They are actually scientifically classed by how they fruit. They are gymnosperms or plants with naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary; these seed fruits called cones are considered more primitive than hardwood fruiting parts. General Guidelines for Broad Identification Though conifers may or may not lose their needles annually, most are indeed evergreen. Trees of this classification have needle-like or scale-like foliage and usually renew many leaves annually but  dont renew all of their leaves every year. The foliage is usually narrow and manifests in either sharp-pointed needles or small and scale-like leaves. Although  studying the needle is the best way to identify a conifer, conifers as a class are defined not by their leaves but by their seeds, so its only important to note the shape and size of leaves after determining whether it is a conifer by the shape, size, and type of seed the tree produces. Softwood trees  include pine, spruces, firs, and cedars, but dont let that alternative name for conifers fool you. Wood hardness varies among the conifer species, and some softwoods are actually harder than some hardwoods. The Many Types of Coniferous Leaves While all trees that bear cones are coniferous, and many of these cones are remarkably different from other species cones, often times the best way to identify the specific genus of a tree is by observing its leaves. Coniferous trees can produce two types of leaves with a variety of slight alterations that further define the tree type. If a tree has needle-like (as opposed to scale-like) leaves, it can then be further defined by how those needles are grouped (singularly or alone), how they are shaped (flattened or four-sided and sharp), the types of stems these leaves are attached to (brown or green), and if the leaves invert or not. Other Ways to Identify Conifers From there, the way the cone or seed is shaped and the way it hangs on the tree (sticking up or handing down), the smell and largeness of individual needles, and the erectness of branches in the tree can also help determine what specific type of conifer a tree is. Chances are ​if a tree has any of these features at all it is a conifer, especially if the tree also bears cone-like seeds. The Most Common Conifer Trees in North America Three of the most common conifers that grow in North America are pine, fir, and spruce trees. The Latin word conifer means to bear cones, and most but not all conifers have cones; junipers and yews, though, produce berry-like fruit. Conifers are among the smallest, largest, and oldest living woody plants known in the world. The more than 500 conifer species are distributed worldwide and are invaluable for their timber but also adapt well to the landscape; there are 200 conifer species in North America, but the most common are listed here: Bald cypress- Genus  TaxodiumCedar- Genus CedrusDouglas fir- Genus  PseudotsugaTrue fir- Genus AbiesHemlock- Genus TsugaLarch- Genus LarixPine- Genus  PinusRedwood- Genus SequoiaSpruce- Genus Picea