Are conifers trees?

In general, there is no doubt about what a tree, a palm or a cactus is, but when you start to investigate a little more and discover the evolution that each type of plant has had, you realize that, although they can be very similar, they have important differences that make them unique .

Bearing this in mind, you can sometimes wonder if conifers are trees, or if they form an independent group of plant beings. If that has been your case, it is time to do a brief review of basic botany.

Index

  • 1 What is a tree?
  • 2 And the conifers?

What is a tree?

In order to find the answer to our question, the first thing we have to know is what a tree is . Well, a tree is a plant with a woody stem that branches at a certain height from the ground, which depending on who you consult will be different, but at least two meters. Apart from that, it produces new secondary branches every year . These sprout from a single trunk, with clear apical dominance.

And the conifers?

Conifers are a type of tree, the oldest of all . They appeared about 359 million years ago and will probably continue to evolve for many more millions of years. They are gymnosperm plants with very unique characteristics: the leaves are very thin, so much so that instead of being called by this name they are known as needles; the fruits are usually conical in shape; they have a very long life expectancy , to the point that species, such as those of the Sequoia genus, have been found to have lived for more than 3,000 years.

In addition, despite the fact that they have a generally slow growth rate, they are able to withstand very low temperatures.  Depending on the species, up to -18ºC.

stone pine

Conifers are primitive plants . They’ve been on Earth for a long time, and they’re impressive, don’t you think? 

Are conifers trees?

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