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.