Conifers - Calling all Tree Surgeons & Plant Gurus

[HeltorChasca]

Had an interesting chat about conifers recently. As I am a landscaper, the person I was talking to asked me a question he thought I could answer. In honesty, I couldn't, so wonder if there is anyone on here who would know.

For ID purposes (looking at the branches or nodes) he said he got taught a little phrase that could help identify conifers. It went something like:

Pines = Pairs
Spruce = Singular
Cypress = Clumps/clusters
Larch = Lots (or looses-can't quite remember)

Can anyone confirm this potentially rather useful way of ID-ing conifers?

Cheers.......hc

 

[Shewie]

That's the one I go by, not sure how true it is though.

Not heard the cypress one before.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Its mostly correct but falls down a bit on pines. The most common European ones are 2 needles to a sheath but you can get 5 needled varieties such as Pinus Parviflora the Japanese white pine.

 

[BushEd]

Not heard the one about cypresses, i'm pretty sure they're scale-leaved, not really clumps or clusters. True Cedars are in clumps and clusters...

 

[addo]

Not heard the one about cypresses, i'm pretty sure they're scale-leaved, not really clumps or clusters. True Cedars are in clumps and clusters...

Aye thats true, recon its cedar not cypress in the id on post one.

Rest is about right, but there are other coniferous trees such as Firs, and redwoods. There all diferent though and some folks just go on the smell of the needles when crushed each one smells of a different fruit, mainly citrus ones.

Spruce and firs get mixed up. Spruce (xmas tree) will have a heal of wood attached to the end of the needle when pulled away from the twig, firs dont, and the needles on a spruce are all the way around the twig (entire), and firs are flatter and mainly on the sides.

 

[Peter_t]

thats a rough guide i supose.


pines usually come in twos but can also come in threes and fives and even the very unusual single lead nut pine

spruces are singular as are firs, duglas firs, coast and dawn readwoods, swamp cypress and hemlocks

to the untrained eye cypresses, false cypresses and cedars (thuja) all look the same but are not related. these have scale like leaves.

true cedars (cedarus) have needles in bunches like larches but larches are decoiduous.

and to complicate thing even more there is another type of cedar! japanese cedar (Cryptomeria) and has cross between scale leaves and needles, as does giant readwood



learn to recognise cones too and you will be able to define many conifers!


pete

 

[TJRoots]

thats a rough guide i supose.


pines usually come in twos but can also come in threes and fives and even the very unusual single lead nut pine

spruces are singular as are firs, duglas firs, coast and dawn readwoods, swamp cypress and hemlocks

to the untrained eye cypresses, false cypresses and cedars (thuja) all look the same but are not related. these have scale like leaves.

true cedars (cedarus) have needles in bunches like larches but larches are decoiduous.

and to complicate thing even more there is another type of cedar! japanese cedar (Cryptomeria) and has cross between scale leaves and needles, as does giant readwood



learn to recognise cones too and you will be able to define many conifers!


pete

and i have to listen to this kind of thing all the time

just kidding pete your very helpful