Needle clusters, cones, and differences among pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and sequoias.
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- How are pine needles arranged on the twig?
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In clusters called fascicles, containing 2, 3, or 5 needles per bundle.- What is the defining feature of spruce needles at their base?
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They attach to the twig via small peglike structures called pulvini.- How do fir needles attach to the twig?
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Directly to the twig without pegs, leaving a circular or elliptical scar when they drop.- What is the shape of spruce needles in cross-section?
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Square or four-sided.- What is the shape of fir needles in cross-section?
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Flat.- How do spruce cones hang on the branch?
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Pendulously, hanging downward from the branches.- How do fir cones sit on the branch?
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Upright or erect, pointing upward.- What happens to fir cones as they mature?
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They disintegrate on the tree, leaving the central axis behind.- What happens to spruce cones as they mature?
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They remain intact and fall whole from the tree.- What is distinctive about larch needles?
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They are deciduous, turning golden and falling in autumn.- How are cedar needles typically arranged?
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In tufts or rosettes along short spur shoots.- What is the general needle length of pines?
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Long, typically 2 to 12 inches or more.- What is the general needle length of spruces?
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Short to medium, typically less than 1 inch.- What is the general needle length of firs?
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Medium, typically 0.5 to 1.5 inches.- Which pine species has needles in bundles of 5?
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White pine, Pinus strobus.
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