Photo credit: Robert Videki, Doronicum Kft.,. Middle, Spruce cones have thinner and more flexible scales than pine cones.
Photo credit: Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service,. Left, Pine cone scales are woody with a rigid feel. One often finds pine and spruce cones on the ground while discovering fir cones there is rare. Also, both pine and spruce cones typically fall whole from the tree while fir cones break apart while on the tree. Pine and spruce cones hang down while fir cones stand erect on tree branches. Pine cone scales are woody while spruce cone scales are thinner and more flexible. Whether the cones are held upright or droop on the branches and if they fall whole from the tree or in pieces can also be helpful identification traits. Cones are made up of scales attached to a center stalk and knowing whether they are rigid or flexible helps differentiate between pine and spruce. The cones of these conifers offer up the most obvious clues. Photo credit: Mary Wilson, MSU Extension Additional clues Right, Base of a fir needle is circular and not attached to a wooden peg. Photo credit: Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension.
When the needle is pulled off the stem, a small, circular leaf scar is left behind. Fir branches lack any peg-like wooden structure on the stem and thus have smooth bark. However, unlike spruce, fir needles are soft, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers. Photo credits for both: Mary Wilson, MSU Extensionįir ( Abies spp.) needles, like spruce, are attached individually to the branches. Right, Spruce stem showing peg-like wooden structures. Left, Spruce with single needles attached to stem. When the needles are shed, these projections remain and the spruce branches feel rough. Another important distinguishing feature is that spruce needles are attached to small, peg-like wooden structures. Also, spruce needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers. Spruce ( Picea spp.) needles, on the other hand, are attached individually to the stem. Photo credit: Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, Right, Scotch pine – needles are two per cluster. Photo credit: Mary Wilson, MSU Extension. Left, White pine has five needles per cluster. Their needles may be long or short, but if you find needles in clusters, you have a pine tree.
Pines ( Pinus spp.) bear needles in clusters of two, three or five needles, depending on the species. Finally, determine if needles are attached directly to the stem or a wooden peg-like structure. Next, try to roll the needles between your fingers to determine if the needles are flat or rounded. Observe whether individual needles are attached to the stem or if they are in clusters (fascicles). To separate the different types of conifers from one another, Michigan State University Extension recommends gardeners start by looking closely at the needles. Homeowners often get them confused, but smart gardeners know the difference in order to properly time their pruning as well as diagnose any specific ailments. They are all evergreen, pyramidal and have similar foliage color. Three of the most common conifers grown in Michigan are pine ( Pinus spp.), fir ( Abies spp.) and spruce ( Picea spp.) trees.
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