The Registry of Nature Habitats - Conifers

Components of a Nature Habitat 

Structural: Feeders Water Dust Beds & Grit Salt Banks & Cliffs Brush & Rock Piles Snags Nest Boxes

Living: Conifers Grasses & Legumes Butterfly, Bee & Moth Plants Hummingbird Plants Summer Plants Fall Plants Winter Plants Nut & Acorn Trees

Not everyone will be blessed with all sixteen Habitat Components on their property.  This does not mean that introducing as many as possible will not enhance wildlife.  The key is to understand each of the components, what they are, how they assist in nature and what wildlife will be assisted by their availability.

Living

Conifers - This group of plants is critical to wildlife. They provide cover and shelter to wildlife. 

What are conifers?

The name "conifer" comes from Latin and means "to bear cones." Although cones are a common feature of most conifers, junipers and yews are two exceptions that produce berry-like fruit.  They are also referred to as "Evergreens".

The best method of identifying a conifer is to look at the leaves. Conifers are usually evergreen trees or shrubs with linear, needle-like or scale-like leaves, though some such as larch and cypress drop their leaves in autumn.

Among the conifers are some of the smallest, largest and oldest living woody plants known. The more than 500 conifer species are distributed worldwide and are invaluable for their timber as well as their adaptability as garden plants for year-round interest.

Conifers in the landscape

The diversity of available conifers for the landscape is tremendous. Nurseries and plantspeople around the world are devoted to the discovery and introduction of new selections that vary in size, form, color and texture. There has been special interest in the group of conifers classified as "dwarf conifers." One definition of a dwarf conifer is one that fails to attain the size and stature of the parent plant.