<h4>Genera:</h4> <em>Pinus</em> (pine), <em>Picea</em> (spruce), <em>Abies</em> (fir) <p><h4>Family Name:</h4> Pinaceae – pine family</p> <p> Steps to take to determine pine, spruce or fir: <ol> <strong><li>How many needles and how are they attached? This should be the first decision you make as it tells you what genus it could or absolutely could not be.</li></strong> <li>Cone features</li> <ol type="a"> <li>Are the cones pendulous or upright?</li> <li>How do the cones mature? Does it take two years for the cones to mature? Do they stay intact at maturity or do they disintegrate upon maturity?</li> </ol> <li>Bud features – Are there terminal and lateral buds? Only terminal buds? What do they look like?</li> <li>Whole plant/Habit – Is it pyramidal when young, but broadens with age (loses apical dominance)? Is the tree pyramidal throughout its lifespan? Notice size, shape, form and color as you approach the tree as these features will all help to confirm the identification of the plant.</li> </ol> <br> <br> <strong>NOTE: For complete information on all the steps listed please consult <em>Plant Profiles: Hort2242 Landscape Plants II - How to Identify Pine, Spruce and Fir</em>.</strong> </p> <p><h4>Resources Consulted:</h4> Dirr, Michael A. <em>Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses</em>. Champaign: Stipes, 2009. Print. </p> <p> <h4>Creator:</h4> Julia Fitzpatrick-Cooper, Professor, College of DuPage </p> <p> <h4>Creation Date:</h4> 2014 </p> <p> <h4>Keywords/Tags:</h4> Pinaceae, tree, conifer, cone, needle, evergreen, Pinus, pine, Picea, spruce, Abies, fir </p> <p> <h4> <a href="http://dc.cod.edu/horticulture-2242-psf-needle/psf-needle.pdf" >Download PDF version of this plant profile</a> </h4> </p> | Plant Profiles: HORT 2242 Landscape Plants II

PSF pinaceae

Genera:

Pinus (pine), Picea (spruce), Abies (fir)

Family Name:

Pinaceae – pine family

General Description:

Pines, spruces and firs are members of the Pinaceae family and share basic morphological and reproductive characteristics. Pines, spruces and firs are needle-bearing, pyramidal trees (at least when young) with branches growing in a whorled pattern. They are monoecious, cone-bearing plants. To the casual observer they look very much the same and are frequently lumped together and called a “pine” or often “a Christmas tree”. Since the most important features of a plant family are the reproductive structures, this Plant Profile will focus on the male, female and seed bearing structures of Pinaceae.

NOTE: For complete information on all the steps listed please consult Plant Profiles: Hort2242 Landscape Plants II - How to Identify Pine, Spruce and Fir.

Resources Consulted:

Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses. Champaign: Stipes, 2009. Print.