Coniferous trees lack typical flowers, which mainly appear in the spring season. Their flowering cannot be compared with the same process in fruit trees. Therefore, not every person can answer the question of how exactly a spruce tree blooms. In fact, cones are considered to be the flowers of coniferous crops. At the same time, male specimens are often yellow in color, and female specimens are pink.
Why do conifers bloom?
Many people are sure that Christmas trees do not bloom. Indeed, coniferous plants are considered not flowering plants, but gymnosperms. Therefore, they cannot boast of such luxurious flowering as an apple or cherry tree.In fact, the so-called flowers of coniferous plants resemble cones or spikelets that are odorless.
Cones are shortened, modified shoots whose foliage has transformed into scales. Since conifers are monoecious plants that are pollinated by the wind, their flowering begins before deciduous trees bloom. Thanks to this, the greenery does not prevent pollen from moving over long distances.
At the same time, the cones of coniferous plants are male and female. The first variety resembles elongated catkins that scatter pollen in May. Female flowers form small cones, which, after pollination, turn into spruce decorations.
What does it look like
The flowering of coniferous plants has a number of features and differences. However, there are some differences between different types of crops.
Fir
There are more than 40 varieties of fir in nature. They often grow in temperate mountains and prefer high humidity. Fir trees are common in European countries, northern Africa, and Asia. These trees are also found in Central and North America.
During the flowering period, beautiful cones appear on the plants, which can have different shades - yellow, red, green. Blue and purple fruits look very unusual.
larches
This culture is mainly found in the lowlands of Alaska, mountainous regions of the USA, and the European part of the Alps. The plant is also widespread in Mongolia and Canada. This crop is considered frost-resistant and has a fast growth rate. Its pollination occurs in April.
The cones on the plant are distributed evenly. In this case, male inflorescences form elongated spikelets that have a yellowish or yellow-green tint, while female inflorescences are round in shape and light green or red-violet in color.
Cedars
Flowers on cedar do not form across the entire width. The lower branches form the so-called growth tier. In cedar, the female genital organs form special cones called macrostrobilae. They are formed in a certain tier of the crown or in a mixed one.
During the flowering period, the female strobile goes through several stages of ontogenesis. First, a standing or pressed bud is formed, after that a bud is formed, and then an open and closed cone is formed. Depending on temperature and climatic factors, the duration of each stage is 3-6 days. Male inflorescences accumulate near the base of the branches and are characterized by an orange-crimson color.
Ate
Such plants have many varieties - about 50. At the same time, spruce has become widespread. They are found from the subtropics to the cold regions of the northern hemisphere.
In spring, Norway spruce is decorated with lilac-red cones. The female fruits are comparable in size to a hazelnut, while the male fruits are comparable in size to a pea. After a couple of weeks, the female cones lengthen and become light green in color.
Exotic spruce Akrokona has unique features. This culture is characterized by slow development and asymmetrical shape. With the onset of spring, small cones of a rich red hue form at the ends of young shoots.
Pines
Scots pine begins to bloom in late May or early June.This culture is distinguished by bare flowers that form cones. During the flowering period, young needles also bloom on the tree. In this case, male inflorescences form a kind of spikelets, and female inflorescences form small oval cones. Male and female inflorescences are located on different branches. At the same time, they are localized at the ends so that the needles do not interfere with pollination.
Tui
Such trees are considered very popular. They are often used in landscape design. Thujas are characterized by thick greenery that tightly covers the trunk. It does not turn yellow and does not crumble. With the arrival of spring, small green cones appear on the thuja branches. After some time they acquire a bluish color.
Juniper
The flowering of this plant often goes unnoticed. It falls in April or May. Juniper flowers resemble small cones-spikelets. Female specimens look like green buds, while male specimens have an elongated shape and yellow color. After pollination, the female buds turn into beautiful berries of a rich blue hue.
The flowering of spruce and other conifers looks about the same. However, it varies somewhat depending on climatic conditions. And the size and color of the inflorescences differ depending on the type of crop.
