Most of us think about Conifer trees at this time of year as we plan picking up our christmas tree. They are incredibly robust trees during the winter period and are of course those that do not lose their leaves during the autumn and winter months.
If you enjoy making items from wood you might have thought about using conifer wood from Southampton Timber Merchants or perhaps something more robust like oak or pine. But did you know that there are actually 630 species of conifer? Some of these are classified as shrubs rather than trees but they all have narrow leaves that appear almost like tiny needles on the branches. They have straight trunks and branches. They come off this in a horizontal manner. Their seeds are dispersed from cones much like the ones that children and some adults like to collect this time of year. Most of the species of conifers bear both make and female fruit on the same tree and they are pollinated by the wind.
Conifers can live for thousands and thousands of years and some have been found that are thought to be over 5,000 years old. The average lifespan is in the decades range. Of course we do grow conifer trees for supplying people with Christmas trees each year. These trees will often be a few years old depending on the height of the tree that you are looking to have in your home.