Evergreen

Each season colors my imagination with its own palette. Spring brings to remembrance pastel hues, as root bulbs debut purple and yellow clusters of hyacinth and daffodils; summer paints my memory with the vibrant greens and blues of manicured lawns and crystal lakes; autumn is illustrated with blazing oranges and reds as the forests prepare for dormancy; and winter…winter is a blanket of pure, clean white that glitters in the brumal sunlight. I don’t associate winter with many other colors; the trees are bare, the sky is clouded, and gardens lie fallow beneath a thick layer of snow. But there is one other color that I find myself gravitating toward in the midwinter months: The color of the evergreens.

Many native Minnesota evergreens belong to the Pine and Cypress genera within the conifer phylum. This is not an exhaustive list.

Within the conifer phylum are five plant families whose members are largely evergreen. One of these families is the Pinaceae (Pine) family, which encompasses many Minnesota native genera such as spruce, fir, hemlock, and pine. Unlike many of their deciduous counterparts, Pinaceae are characterized by their cones and viridescent needles. Growing up, all needle-laden trees were simply “pine trees” in my adolescent vernacular. However, an observant walk through the forest will surely demonstrate how versatile and distinguished each member of the Pinaceae family truly is. 

Image: Picea glauca – White spruce

Take spruce, for example; when you pluck a needle from its branch and roll it between your fingers, it feels square. Spruce needles are sharp and possess a small supportive structure called a “sterigma” that grows between the needle and the branch; when the needle is detached from the tree, the sterigma remains joined with the needle and leaves behind a bumpy texture on the remaining twig. 

Image: Abies concolor – White fir

A fir needle, on the other hand, will feel flat between your fingers. Fir needles have blunt tips and do not contain sterigmata. Instead, if you pull a fir needle off its branch, the base looks like a tiny suction cup, and the surface of the branch will remain smooth. Larch needles are likewise flat with dull tips, however, they are deciduous and will lose their needles in the winter.

Image: Pinus resinosa - Red pine

Another diagnostic feature that distinguishes Pinaceae members from one another is how the needles are arranged on the branch. As noted above, fir and spruce needles are individually attached to the branch on which they grow. However, [true] pine needles are attached to the branch in small clusters called fascicles, and Larch species can be uniquely identified by their needly tufts. 

Cones are yet another key diagnostic tool used to identify coniferous species. Cones come in many shapes, sizes, and arrangements. Fir and cedar cones sit upright on the branch, while spruce cones hang below it. Spruce cones are soft and flexible, while pine cones are hard and woody. Although Douglas fir is not native to Minnesota, it is commonly grown here on Christmas tree farms; its cones have long, three-pronged bracts that are sometimes compared to mouse tails. 

Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir

In addition to needles and cones, tree shape, branch density, bark, and even odor can be used to distinguish one evergreen from another. Cupressaceae (Cypress) is another coniferous family that contains evergreens, such as juniper; oftentimes juniper, including Eastern red cedar, are readily identified by their reddish, shaggy bark. Many evergreens are aromatic when crushed, and some even have berries. 

Juniperus scopulorum - Rocky mountain juniper

The shaggy red bark, scale-like needles and cedar-y aroma are characteristic of many junipers 

While the winter may feel long and the landscape desolate, evergreens offer a burst of color and life to contrast the idle snow. The next time you go for a walk, take notice of the coniferous trees. Pluck the needles from their branch; roll them between your fingers; pull them to your face and smell their fragrant perfumes. No two “pine trees” are alike; each expresses a unique imprint on the earth from which they grow…evergreen.