Conifers

trees · seeds · evergreen · wind

Cone-shaped seeds. Conifers make their seeds inside tough, woody cones that look like pinecones. When the cones dry out, they open up and let the wind carry the seeds far away to grow into new trees.

Stay green year-round. Most conifers are evergreen, which means they keep their needle-like leaves all through winter while other trees lose theirs. This helps them survive in cold places where winter is long and harsh.

Wind does the work. Conifers don't need bees or other insects to help them make seeds. Instead, the wind blows pollen from male cones to female cones, and then the wind spreads the seeds too.

Ancient and widespread. There are over 600 kinds of conifers alive today, and they grow all over the world from freezing mountains to warm forests. Some conifers are among the biggest and oldest living trees on Earth.

Strong and woody. All conifers are tough trees and shrubs with hard wood inside them. They keep growing bigger every year by adding new layers, which is why they're so useful for lumber and building.