conifer

The General Grant Tree, a giant sequoia 82 m/267 ft tall and up to 2,000 years old, in the Kings Canyon National Park, California. This tree, regarded as the best example of the classic sequoia shape, was in 1956 designated a National Living Shrine honouring all who have died in defence of the USA.

Coniferous trees surround a glacial lake, among the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Forests in mountainous areas are often coniferous, because this type of evergreen tree is well suited to the soil, weather, and other environmental factors found at high altitudes.

In many mountain areas there are large areas of coniferous forest. This is because temperatures are low, and the soil thin and acidic. Evergreen trees are also able to photosynthesize at low temperatures, and their conical shape helps them to get rid of snow during winter. Their wide roots also help them to survive rocking by high winds, and they are able to cling to steep slopes such as the one pictured.

Any of a large number of cone-bearing trees or shrubs. They are often pyramid-shaped, with leaves that are either scaled or needle-shaped; most are evergreen. Conifers include pines, spruces, firs, yews, junipers, monkey puzzles, and larches. (Order Coniferales.)

Conifers belong to the gymnosperm or naked-seed-bearing group of plants. The reproductive organs are the male and female cones, and pollen is scattered in the wind. The seeds develop in the female cones. The processes of reaching maturity, fertilization, and seed ripening may take several years. Most conifers grow quickly and can survive in poor soil, on steep slopes, and in short growing seasons. Coniferous forests are widespread in Scandinavia and upland areas of the UK such as the Scottish Highlands, and are often planted in afforestation schemes. Conifers also grow in woodland.