What is the difference between pine trees and fir trees

Pinecone scales are woody in nature, with a rigid feel. In contrast, spruce cones have thinner scales than pinecones, which gives them a more flexible feel. The length of cone is not a reliable way of differentiating most types of conifers because the length can vary from tree to tree.

For example the sugar pine cones range in size from 8 inches long to more than 26 inches long. Bark Bark alone is not a fully reliable indicator of the type of conifer you have.

The surest way to identify conifers is to examine the needles and cones along with the bark. In general the bark of pine trees is smooth on young trees but develops a flaky, reddish-brown color with age. White pines can have smooth bark, even when mature. The bark on spruce trees is generally rough to touch and becomes furrowed and scaly with age. Fir trees have smooth bark that is often grayish when young, but develops a furrowed appearance as it ages.

Needle Drop All conifers shed needles -- sometimes this shedding is slow, but most commonly it occurs all at once in the fall. Spruce needles are spiny and sharp think SSS. Cones hang down from the branches. Fir needles are flat and fat think FFF. Fir cones stand on top of the branch.

Pine tree needles grow in clusters of 2, 3 or 5 needles depending on if they are red, yellow or white pines and, the needles can grow very long Think of a Scotch Pine at Christmas. As you walk along the path, pick up a cone and take a look.

Some think the tiny leaf looks like the hind legs and tail of a mouse. And for good reason! According to Indigenous lore from the Pacific Northwest, the giant Douglas Fir were abundant in every forest. On one particular day, all the animals were fleeing from a fire.

But the tiny mice were too small and slow to outrun the fire. Knowing the Douglas fir trees have thick bark to withstand fire, they asked the trees for help. The trees allowed them to climb their trunks and hide in the cones. The mice gladly took shelter inside the cones and survived the fire. Today, if you look closely at the cone of a Douglas fir, it looks like little hind feet and a tail sticking out from under the scales.

Needles are found either in clusters or individually attached to the stem of a branch. Also, they will be either round or flattened. Further, you will find them either attached to the stem or to a small wooden peg.

Pine trees will have needles grouped in clusters- either 2, 3 or 5 needles. Interestingly, a red pine will have three needles and a white pine will have five needles, which can be remembered by the fact that RED has three letters and WHITE has five.

Pine cones are very hard, woody and rough. These needles are usually attached to the branches by something resembling a suction cup in appearance. Unlike spruce trees, the needles on firs are generally very sharply pointed, but also softer.

Spruce needles will break if you bend them, but fir needles will usually have a lot of give. On a fir tree, the branches can grow in very densely, obscuring the trunk from view. This gives the trees an attractive appearance that greatly contributes to their popularity as Christmas Trees. On a fir tree, the bark will be smooth to the touch, in contrast to the rough spruce bark.

Examining the cones of a fir tree will be hard. You are unlikely to see a whole one drop to the ground. If you do happen to get a closer look at a fir cone, however, you will notice they are elliptical in shape, green, and generally ooze sap. Very different from other types of cones! There are many different varieties of fir trees; balsam fir, noble fir, douglas fir, and fraser fir are among the most popular.

True pine trees will have needles in clusters of two, three, or five. The needles are soft to the touch and can be very long; the longest pine needles grow to a whopping 16 inches!