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Probably the best known conifer is the Christmas tree Americans buy every holiday season. But these trees are missing their one distinguishing feature that makes conifers unique – cones. Conifers are evergreen trees of varying sizes, all of which bear fruit known as pinecones. Conifers are widely scattered throughout the United States. At one time large conifer forests covered much of Northern California. Today, however, conifers remain mostly in protected national parks where thousands flock annually to gaze at their beauty.
Conifers are characterized by their cones and evergreen leaves. There are a few trees classified as conifer that do not fit this mold. Larch, for example, is one of the few deciduous conifers. Yew is a special evergreen conifer that actually bears flowers. All conifers are known to be fast growers, and many gardeners planting a decorative spruce have found it consuming their gardens in record time.
Perhaps the most famous conifers are located in the Pacific Northwest. Sequoia National Park is home to some of the oldest and largest trees on earth, known as Giant Sequoias. These trees can reach heights of three hundred feet with girths as wide as thirty feet. These trees were once widespread throughout the Sierra Nevada, but severe logging have reduced their range to national parks like Yosemite and Sequoia. Another popular conifer is the Douglas Fir. Baffled scientists were unsure whether the Douglas Fir could be classified as a true fir because of certain unique characteristics. The Douglas Fir was thus awarded its own genus of psuedotsuga. This tree is quite prolific in the Pacific Northwest and is currently the state tree of Oregon. Redwoods are also found in the Pacific Northwest. Only one species of Redwood called sequoia sempervirens exists in the United States. Despite its Latin name, Redwoods are not related to Giant Sequoias, or the Dawn Redwoods that are found in China. The California Redwood forests are a major tourist attraction. Redwoods grow hundreds of feet tall. The leaves and branches form on the upper tiers, leaving their smooth red trunks bare.
The Northern states such as Michigan and Minnesota also have significant numbers of conifers such as cedars, pines, spruces and cypress. At maturity Norway Spruces can reach heights of sixty feet with a thirty-foot spread. The Norway Spruce has slim, hot dog shaped cones. The Tamarack Swamp is not as well known as other conifers but grows prolifically in the Northern states. True to its conifer roots, Tamarack Swamps are fast growers and can usually be found in bogs.
Over the years pine trees have been particularly susceptible to over-harvesting. Many conifers are preferred by the paper industry. Pine is a favorite for construction lumber. Spruce wood is used to make musical instruments. But living conifers have an abundant number of uses. Like all trees, conifers provide shelter for birds and small mammals. Although conifers are evergreen, they do shed old needles, which enrich the forest floor with necessary acid. Certain species of conifers also produces edible nuts known as pine nuts. The cones are knocked from the trees and cracked open to reveal the hard or soft-shelled nuts. The expensive nut is used extensively in cooking and baking. The American pine nut differs from the pignola or Italian pine nut, which comes from the Italian Stone Pine.
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