Conifers

trees · seeds · evergreen · nature

Cone-shaped seeds. Conifers make their seeds inside hard, woody cones that look like pinecones. When the cones dry out, they open up and release seeds that the wind carries away to grow new trees.

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

Wind does the work. Conifers don't need bees or insects to make babies. Instead, they let the wind blow their pollen from male cones to female cones on the same tree or nearby trees.

Super successful plants. There are over 600 different kinds of conifers alive today, and they live on almost every continent. They include pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and redwoods, making them one of nature's most important tree families.

Grow bigger each year. All conifers are perennial plants that live for many years and grow thicker and taller as time passes. Some conifers, like bristlecone pines, can live for thousands of years.