Editor's Pick
Conifers
Globally, there are more than 550 species of conifers, the vast majority of which are evergreen trees and shrubs. In general, conifers have needle-shaped or scale-like leaves and bear their seeds in cones (as opposed to flowers or fruits), although there are some outliers (such as yews) that do bear fruit.
Here we are most familiar with fir, pine, cypress, cedar, and redwood. In the past, redwood in particular was a popular landscape plant in the valley and survives in many a garden despite its preference for cool weather and fog (though many local redwoods have succumbed to drought in recent years). Ironically, while redwoods and sequoias are among the largest and tallest of coniferous trees, they bear tiny little cones, while the cones of the straggly gray pines growing in the foothills can reach up to 13 inches in length.
The prize for the conifer with the largest cone (up to two feet long) goes to the sugar pine, which is the largest of the pines. Also in the pine genus is the Norfolk pine, which makes a lovely, if large, indoor plant.
Our personal favorite this time of year is the silvertip (or red) fir, with its stiff horizontal branches and beautiful short, silvery needles. It is native to the mountains of Southern Oregon and California and will only thrive at elevations between about 4,500 to 9,000 feet. Snow country!