
conifer [ KOH-nuh-fer, KON-uh– ] noun: a thin-leaved (having needles or scales) tree or shrub that produces cones

Most conifers are evergreen, but not all. Some, such as larches, pond cypresses and bald or swamp cypresses, all common in the southeastern United States, are deciduous, changing color and losing their needles in the winter. This does not mean that evergreen conifers do not lose their leaves. It is common for them to shed older leaves (2–10 years old depending on the species) in fall. This natural shedding process should occur from the inside of the plant, not at the branch tips.
Autumn Browning and Shedding of Evergreen Conifers






Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
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Conifers belong to the order Coniferales, literally meaning cone-bearing. Cones or strobili are clusters of sporophylls or scales arranged on an axis; conifers generally bear both male and female cones on the same plant. Some needle-leafed plants, however, like yews, produce arillate fruits, leading some experts to say they are not true conifers. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, for example, says that yews are not conifers but still includes them in the conifer section of their guide because they have flat, evergreen needles.
A flyer that guides visitors to the Conifer Trail of the University of Virginia’s historic Blandy Experimental Farm of the State Arboretum of Virginia says conifers vary considerably among the world’s 600-plus species, but their common traits include having separate male (pollen) and female (seed) cones. “The seeds develop on cone scales or related structures, not within protective fruits as in flowering plants…. Most have needle- or awl-shaped leaves, though this varies.”

HOW TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN CONIFER SPECIES
Conifer species can be identified mostly by their cones and leaves.
Know your conifers so that you can properly care for them,
prune them at the right time, and recognize potential problems.
Conifers are evergreen unless otherwise indicated. If a conifer is indigenous to Virginia, it is described as native.
Click on a drawing to view a photograph of that species. Attributions for photos and drawings below.
CUPRESSACEAE (CYPRESS FAMILY)





TAXACEAE
PINACEAE (PINE FAMILY)
YEW
CEDAR
HEMLOCK
FIR




PINACEAE (PINE FAMILY)
LARCH
SPRUCE
PINE





PINACEAE (PINE FAMILY)
PINE





Attributions for Conifer Species Photos and Drawings
Abies balsamea. Photo © Plant Image Library CC BY-SA 2.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 63.
Chamaecyparis obtusa. Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini, Flora Japonica, Sectio Prima (Tafelband).
Cedrus (cedar). Photo © Chista Watters. Drawing courtesy of Cedar (Cedrus sp.): branch with cones and inflorescences. Coloured engraving by J.J. or J.E. Haid, c.1750, after G.D. Ehret.
Cryptomeria japonica: Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini, Flora Japonica, Sectio Prima (Tafelband).
Juniperus virginiana. Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 66.
Larix laricina. Photo © Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble CC BY 2.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 60.
Picea rubens. Photo © Bibliothèque de l’Université Laval CC BY-SA 4.0 Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 61.
Pinus echinata. Photo © John B. CC BY 2.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 58.
Pinus palustris. Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 57.
Pinus pungens. Photo © Plant Image Library CC BY-SA 2.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 57.
Pinus rigida. Photo © richardefreeman on Flickr CC BY 2.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 57.
Pinus serotina. Photo courtesy of autrpy. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 60.
Pinus strobus. Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 60.
Pinus taeda. Photo © Christa Watters. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 59.
Pinus virginiana. Photo © Derek Ramsey CC BY-SA 2.5. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 59.
Taxus canadensis: Photo © Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org CC BY 3.0. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 67.
Taxodium distichum. Photo © Mary Free. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 62.
Thuja occidentalis. Photo © Elaine Mills. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 65.
Tsuga canadensis. Photo © Elaine Mills. Drawing courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 62.
References
Burns RM, Honkala BH, tech. coords. 1990. Silvics of North America: 1. Conifers, 2. Hardwoods. Agriculture Handbook 654. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC
Earle CJ, editor. Last Modified 1/24/2023. The Gymnosperm Database. (accessed January 24, 2023).
Jull L. Revised 8/13/2012. Pruning Evergreens. Item number: XHT1013. UW-Madison Horticulture, UW-Extension.
Plants By Name. Minnesota Wildflowers. (accessed January 22–30, 2023).
Plant Toolbox. North Carolina Cooperative Extension. (accessed January 22–30, 2023).
Rose N. January 6, 2016. Not All Conifers Are Evergreen. Plant Profiles. Arnold Arboretum.
Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets. Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. (accessed January 22–30, 2023).
Whiting D, McMulkin L, Jones J, O’Connor A, Potts L, Prins C. Revised 2017. Identifying Conifers (Arborvitae, Douglas Fir, Fir, Juniper, Pine, Spruce, and Yew). CMG GardenNotes #172. Master Gardeners Colorado State University Extension.