Coniferous Trees That Shed Needles

Cones

• Conifers are gymnosperms, which means "naked seed." This refers to the way the seeds are not enclosed in an ovary; instead, conifers carry their seeds in cones. The cones open and release seeds in response to temperature and moisture. The seeds are spread by wind and animals, which disperse the seed far and wide. This increases the chances for reproductive success even in the cold, arid and wet environments where conifers are found.

Leaf Drop and Needle Retention

• The leaves of deciduous trees travel quickly through their life cycle, but they're fragile. Dropping leaves annually avoids water loss and winter damage. Nutrients are readily available in temperate zones, aiding deciduous trees' rapid leaf cycle. Conifers are found in northern, arid climates and tropical regions, often in bogs, where the soil tends to be nutrient-poor. Needles are small but tough, stronger structurally than deciduous leaves. Retaining needles allows trees to keep nutrients and to photosynthesize throughout the year, but also presents challenges.

Deciduous Conifers

• Deciduous conifers have some ability to conserve nutrients, but they photosynthesize at faster rates than trees that retain their needles. Dropping the needles annually conserves energy and avoids environmental stress from seasonal events, such as snow load, water loss and saturated soil. An interesting indication of their vigor is the regenerative response of larch, baldcypress and dawn redwood. When these trees are cut down, a new leader grows from the stump.

Larch, Baldcypress and Dawn Redwood

• Larch, or tamarack, survive in the most harsh environments, including above the Arctic Circle. Its foliage turns a luminous yellow in the fall. Baldcypress is a swamp tree, native to the southeastern United States. It's a member of the redwood family. The dawn redwood was part of the dinosaurs' landscape. They were thought to be extinct, known through 1.5 million-year-old fossils, until a living specimen was discovered in China in 1941.