There are few trees so universally beloved as the conifer. In winter, they’re a classic, enchanting image as their branches droop with snow. In summer, they provide much-needed shade — and shelter for ...

Conifers, such as pines, spruces, and firs, produce sticky resins that protect the trees from insects and pathogens. Important components of this resin are diterpenes, special natural substances that ...

As the festive season approaches, evergreen conifers like spruce and pine adorn homes worldwide. But while Christmas trees bring warmth and joy into our lives, they endure some of the harshest ...

How can conifers that are used, for example, as Christmas trees, keep their green needles over the boreal winter when most trees shed their leaves? Science has not provided a good answer to this ...

Believe it or not, pine cones have more than one reason to open and close. These fascinating little structures are just full ...

The Scots Pine grows widely throughout Europe and Asia. Its distribution range extends eastwards from western Europe to the eastern extremity of Russia, northwards to Scandinavia and southwards to the ...

It may be called a pine, but it isn’t a member of the pine family. And no, those lustrous, oversized needles aren’t plastic. By Margaret Roach If you can get around the issue of patient ...

We buy live Christmas trees with the best of intentions, excited about the possibilities of decorating our living rooms for the holidays and our gardens for evermore. Sometimes, that's just the ...