One of the most common representatives of the plant kingdom is conifers. They grow almost all over the land, but mostly in the temperate climate zone. Coniferous plants are widely used by man and are very important for his life. In addition to being the main supplier of oxygen on Earth, needles are used in cosmetology and medicine, wood is used to make furniture and build houses, and decorative species are used in gardening and park art. All representatives of this class are very different from the rest, as they have a number of features.
Characteristics of conifers
About 600 species belong to this class. Some of them are widespread, while others are quite rare. These plants were named so because the leaves of almost all of them are modified into needles, called needles. And in botany they are classified as gymnosperms. All of them are characterized by the fact that the seeds develop in their cones. How else is the class of conifers different from the rest?
- These are the most ancient representatives of the plant kingdom. Their remains are found in layers belonging to the Carboniferous period. Moreover, they were then widespread even beyond the Arctic Circle.
- Almost all modern conifers are trees. And their structure is also different from all the others. They have one trunk with shoots extending from it in different directions.
- Many representatives of coniferous plants are centenarians. Now there is a North American pine, whose age is almost five thousand years, and the mammoth tree lives about 3000 years.
- In terms of size, coniferous plants also belong to the champions. Most tall tree in the world is a sequoia. Its height can reach more than 110 meters. The thickness of the trunk of conifers is also striking in its size: in the Mexican swamp cypress and mammoth tree, it reaches 12-16 meters.
- The features of all conifers also include the presence of resin in their wood. It is thick, has a strong odor and healing properties.
- All representatives of conifers are used by humans in one way or another and are among the most desired plants on the ground.
Appearance
Mostly trees belong to this class, but there are also tree-like shrubs. Almost all conifers are evergreen, only a few less common species shed their leaves. It is quite easy to distinguish representatives of this class from the rest by the special structure of the leaves. Almost all of them are changed into needles - needle-shaped shoots or flat scales. They have a small surface and evaporate little water. This makes it possible for such plants not to shed their leaves in winter. In addition, features geographical distribution conifers explain other features of their leaves. They are arranged on the branches in a spiral and have a dark green color. This enables them to catch scattered sunlight, because conifers grow mainly in northern and temperate latitudes. Almost all such plants have a dense tree trunk, but thin bark. They have a powerful taproot with lateral branches. This is necessary so that the plant can get water from great depths and stay in mountainous and sandy areas.
Distribution of conifers
They mainly grow in temperate climates. Sufficient soil moisture is necessary for their vital activity. Therefore, coniferous forests are common in northern and temperate latitudes. Some of their representatives are found even close to the border of permafrost. Their further advance to the north is hindered by the impossibility of extracting water in such conditions. In warm latitudes, they are found only in the mountains, where it is not very hot.
Basically, all coniferous plants are concentrated near the pool Pacific Ocean where conditions are most favorable for them. Most of them are distributed in the northern hemisphere, but they are also found in Australia, New Zealand and South America. We can say that in every corner globe there are coniferous plants.
Names of the most common genera
- Pine.
- Cedar.
- Fir.
- Larch.
- Sequoia.
- Cypress.
- Juniper.
Coniferous plants for the garden
Many gardeners use them in the design of the site. Even an ordinary spruce or pine brought from the forest can decorate the garden. But ornamental species grown in a nursery take root better. The richness and variety of shades and sizes of coniferous plants allows you to decorate any area. Even for a small flower bed there are dwarf species, and tall trees give the garden, especially over a large area, an unusual look and magnificence. The most common conifers for the garden are spruce and pine. They can be used as hedges and borders. Pine tolerates pruning well and can be given any shape. Medium-sized plants - thuja spherical, juniper and cypress - are also very in demand, as they look beautiful in any area. Flower beds can also be decorated with creeping varieties of juniper and other dwarf species.
For a long time, domestic owners of personal and garden plots have been very fond of due to their unpretentiousness and the ability to design a summer house in almost any style. IN last years are increasingly used in landscaping parks or landscape decoration on the site rare varieties of conifers and unusual species that don't require a lot of attention.
Coniferous plants for the garden in landscape design
In order to choose the best option for green design for a garden or backyard, you need to decide what goals you intend to fulfill when growing, and also take into account the botanical characteristics of the crop. Large conifers and shrubs can be used:
- when creating mixborders;
- in the design of rock gardens and rockeries;
- in solitary and group plantings;
- as an original hedge.
It should be remembered that coniferous plants cannot grow and develop well if a deciduous tree such as bird cherry or birch is planted nearby. In small areas, low-growing crops should be preferred. Pine and cedar should not be planted next to spruce and fir, and larches should be planted separately on the territory.
Conifers in the garden: name and characteristics
Experienced landscape designers are very familiar with the peculiarities of the use of coniferous crops when creating decorative compositions. The main condition for the use of such plants is compatibility and correct distribution by territory.
tall plants
- Prickly spruce "Hupsy" with dense needles that have an attractive silver-blue color. A feature is the ability to easily endure adverse external conditions;
- Three meters » , which has a classic conical crown shape and needles with a blue tint;
- Quite shade-loving western thuja great for decorating a hedge and easily transferring a shaping haircut;
- unpretentious Pine "Pincus Silvestris" with a columnar structure very characteristic of the species and a straight-growing stem part;
- Not too tall and light-loving common plant Pine "Waterery" has an attractive spherical twisted shape and is perfectly adapted to the southern climate.
Tall conifers can be used as a background for other ornamental crops or, if necessary, create shading for a specific area. Such specimens are very often used in the design of hedges.
Photo gallery
Coniferous plants on the site (video)
Medium-sized varieties of conifers
The names of the most unpretentious medium-sized conifers are well known to most owners of suburban real estate:
- mountain pine varieties "Pinus mugo" forms a two-meter spreading bush with dark green needles and has an average annual growth of 20-40 cm. An excellent option for planting on well-lit edges and creating a background composition;
- classical thuja varieties "Rheingold" with a wide openwork cone and yellowish-reddish-green needles;
- relatively new thuja variety «Zmatlik» with a narrow dark green cone and a rather slow growth rate;
- sprawling pine varieties Fukai, which has greenish-blue needles with separate bunches of yellowish needles;
- popular for its size and fluffiness pine varieties "Waterery" has a broad and attractive crown, but may have problems with winter scorching and fungal infections;
- yew "Wintergold" is a spreading tree with yellowish-green needles and is perfect for decorating edges.
No less popular in landscape design are the Konika spruce, golden yew and globular thuja Globosa. Such ornamental plants very successfully complemented, and it is precisely such compositions that look great at almost any end of the backyard.
Low-growing, weeping and creeping species of conifers
When designing a backyard landscape in Lately weeping crown plants are increasingly being used, which look perfect in solitary plantings or used as a frame for tall varieties:
- any variety with green and relatively dense needles, requiring corrective pruning, which will prevent the branches from rotting on the ground;
- one of the best semi-weeping larch varieties "Pit Van Geet" with bluish-green needles and a wide crown that needs regular and regular pruning of the forming type;
- Pine "Pendula" with a strongly weeping crown that requires careful pruning, and very decorative needles;
- weeping form of European spruce "Inversa" belongs to the category of popular structural classic varieties that do not require significant care;
- dwarf Canadian spruce "Laurin" with a narrow-conical shape of the crown, not more than 40 cm high with an annual growth of 1.5-2.0 cm;
- spherical Canadian spruce "Echiniformis", reaching in adulthood a height of not more than 30 cm;
- dwarf nest form spiny spruce varieties "Nidiformis" has a flattened, depressed top, the growth of which is much lower than the growth of lateral shoots.
What coniferous plants are better to plant in the country (video)
Among dwarf firs, Korean fir is especially popular. Tundra and balsamic Nana. The forms of mountain pine are no less in demand. "Gnom", "Mops" and "Ophir". Most dwarf conifers are photophilous and need a sufficient sunny location, as the lower branches are exposed in shading. However, too open areas such crops often suffer from lack of moisture and sunburn, so it is recommended to pay attention to regular irrigation and spring shading.
Popular shade-tolerant conifers
Unpretentious shade-tolerant conifers hibernate without shelter and do not freeze at all under the influence of severe frosts, do not burn in the spring sun, easily tolerate dry periods, and also grow and develop well on any soil, except for heavily marshy soils. The most popular shade-tolerant and unpretentious conifers include:
- very resistant to negative external influences golden Juniper "Old Gold", up to two meters high, with a yellowish-bronze coloration of needles, which persists throughout winter period;
- unpretentious horizontal juniper variety "Andorra Compact" with a cushion-shaped crown, the height of which does not exceed 30-40 cm with a diameter of up to a meter. The plant has small, scaly, bluish-gray-green needles, which take on a slightly purple hue in winter;
- horizontal is one of the ground cover shrubs widely used in the design of small rocky gardens. It has a height of the aerial part of 20-30 cm with a diameter of one and a half meters. Differs in silver-blue needles;
- groundcover creeping juniper 'Wilton' in height reaches 15 cm with a width of a couple of meters or more. The needles have a silver-blue color. The variety is grown in a container culture, and also harmoniously looks in rocky gardens;
- dense undersized juniper "Prince of Wales" 20 cm high and a couple of meters wide, they have scaly, dense, bluish-green needles, grows well in sunny areas and in shading;
- mountain pine "Ophir" has a surprisingly regular and rounded, sometimes slightly spreading crown with a diameter of up to a meter;
- ordinary spruce "Barryi" is a robust and slow growing semi-dwarf form with a round crown, glossy dark green needles and orange-brown young shoots.
Shade-tolerant conifers are especially relevant when grown along fences and buildings on a personal plot.
Unusual ornamental coniferous plants
To create a unique and stylish decor for a backyard or garden area, you can use unusual varieties of conifers:
- very slow growing semi-dwarf Spruce "Glauca Globosa" in adulthood it grows up to three meters and has a rounded and dense above-ground part with silver-blue, dense, prickly needles and short shoots, resistant even to city smoke and car soot;
- in rockeries and small group compositions, a unique nest-like dwarf form can be planted Norway spruce "Nidiformisc", which has a dense cushion-shaped crown, represented by shoots that "fan" away from the center;
- inverted weeping form ate "Inversion" has a very narrow and uneven crown of almost vertically falling shoots, as a result of which the lower branches are beautifully located on the surface of the earth, decorating it with thick, dark green and shiny needles.
In this lesson, the topic "Deciduous and Coniferous Trees" will be considered, which will help students learn about two groups of trees - deciduous and coniferous. Consider them features.
Lesson: Deciduous and coniferous trees
As you know, each tree has its own distinctive features. Leaves are one such feature. Sheet- This is one of the main organs of the plant, performing the function of respiration and nutrition. The leaves of trees are very diverse in shape and size.
Birch has small carved leaves.
Linden leaves are shaped like a heart.
Oak leaves will expand at the top of the leaf.
Maple has a wide leaf plate with pointed ends.
Rowan has a complex leaf, on the central petiole there are up to 15 small leaves.
Complex leaf and chestnut. Slightly pointed leaves are connected at the top of the main petiole.
Birch, mountain ash, oak, maple, linden are deciduous trees. They have their own distinctive features.
1) The presence of leaves.
2) In autumn, the color of the leaves changes.
3) All deciduous trees shed their foliage. This phenomenon is called leaf fall.
A large number of treesform a deciduous forest.
Let's get acquainted with some representatives of deciduous trees.
The most powerful tree in the forest is considered oak. Our ancestors considered oak sacred tree. The height of the oak is about 50 meters, the life expectancy is 500 years. But there are centenarians for more than a thousand years. Ripe on oak trees in autumn acorns.
These are rich and nutritious fruits. The squirrel loves to eat acorns, and will hide them in a hollow in reserve. forest bird jay is also a lover of delicious fruits. Wild boars also rush for acorns, because they need to accumulate fat in order to survive the winter.
Our ancestors knew: a lot of acorns on oak - for a harsh winter. Wheat should be sown when the oak leaves unfold. And oak is considered a symbol of power and strength. Oak wreaths were awarded to the bravest warriors.
People say about cowardly people: "It trembles like an aspen leaf." In fact, the aspen leaf trembles from the slightest breath of wind. This is due to the structure of the petiole . The aspen petiole is very thin and long, even in calm weather, aspen leaves rustle quietly. In the spring, before the leaves appear on the aspen, earrings appear. People say: "Fluff flew from the aspen, go to the forest for a boletus."
These are mushrooms that love to grow under the aspen. The caps of these mushrooms resemble autumn coloring aspen leaves.
What tree is this riddle about?
Takes from my flower
The bee is the most delicious honey.
And everyone hates me
Remove the thin skin.
This Linden. Fragrant fragrant linden flowers attract bees. And it is not for nothing that bees produce linden honey, it has healing properties. Our ancestors went to linden for bast. This inner part bark. Thin strips were removed from the tree and bast shoes were woven. Linden wood is very soft and white. Furniture, dishes and musical instruments are made from it.
The second group of trees is coniferous. Needles are modified leaves. Coniferous trees include spruce, cedar pine, fir, larch. A forest of coniferous trees is called coniferous. Unlike deciduous trees, coniferous trees do not shed their needles in autumn, so their other name is evergreen.
Spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree. The crown of the tree descends to the very ground, so it is dark and damp in the spruce forests. Spruce forests are called spruce forests. Spruce roots are located close to the surface of the earth. Therefore, from a strong wind, spruce trees fall, forming impenetrable thickets and windbreaks. It looks like a spruce branch with cones. Cones are oblong.
Spruce is a very interesting and useful tree. Its wood is used for making musical instruments and paper. Coniferous trees emit special substances, they fill the air pleasant aroma and cleanse it. How much joy the green beauty brings to the house under New Year!
Pine is a coniferous tree. The crown of the tree is at the very top, so it is light in the pine forests. Such a forest is called pine forest . The pine has powerful roots, so it is not afraid of strong winds. And pine can grow on rocks and ravines. It looks like a pine branch with a cone.
Pine needles are longer than those of spruce. Needles grow on a branch two together. Cones are short, rounded.
There is a tree with unusual properties among coniferous trees - this larch. Like spruce and pine, larch has needles; in autumn, larch turns yellow and sheds needles like leaves, which is why it is called larch. In the spring, young needles reappear from the buds.
If there are both coniferous and deciduous trees in the forest, such a forest is called mixed.
Trees are the lungs of our planet. Absorbing harmful substances Trees release air and oxygen. Leaves hold fumes and soot. Trees need to be protected.
In the next lesson, the topic "Autumn in the life of plants" will be considered. In the course of the lesson, we will learn about the most important seasonal changes that occur with almost all plants. Let's see how autumn manifests itself, and then find out the role of autumn in plant life.
1. Samkova V.A., Romanova N.I. The world around 1. - M .: Russian word.
2. Pleshakov A.A., Novitskaya M.Yu. The world around 1. - M .: Education.
3. Gin A.A., Faer S.A., Andrzheevskaya I.Yu. The world around 1. - M .: VITA-PRESS.
1. Describe deciduous trees.
2. Describe conifers.
3. Guess the riddles.
1. I have longer needles than a Christmas tree.
I am growing very straight - in height.
If I'm not at the edge,
Branches only at the top. (Pine)
2. You will always find her in the forest -
You go for a walk and you will meet:
It is prickly, like a hedgehog,
In winter in a summer dress. (Spruce)
3. In this sleek box
Bronze color
Hidden little oak tree
Next summer. (Acorn)
4. Who knows what kind of tree this is?
A relative has a Christmas tree
Non-thorny needles.
But unlike the Christmas tree -
Those needles are falling off. (Larch)
5. Takes from my flower
Bee is the most delicious honey.
And yet they offend me
The thin skin is torn off. (Linden)
Dear guys, hello! And I greet you dear parents! Together with ShkolaLa, we can already tell classmates about. Today we will prepare a presentation about coniferous trees in Russia. Like last time, let's briefly recall their features, consider some types and names, and also look for Interesting Facts with which you can surprise your listeners.
Lesson plan:
What do we know about conifers?
Probably, no country is as rich in forests as our beloved Russia. Coniferous representatives are rightfully considered the most common "lungs" of our planet.
These plants are distinguished by the fact that instead of leaves they have needles. In principle, these are their leaves, only slightly modified. They can be in the form of needles or scales. There are about 600 species of evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs.
These are the most ancient inhabitants of the vegetable kingdom. learned remnants coniferous representatives found in layers of the Carboniferous period. At that time they lived even beyond the Arctic Circle. Today they can be found in the north and south, as well as in middle lane. Even in hot Africa, you can find a tree with needles, but still they are more comfortable in a cold environment with little humidity.
Evergreens do not beautiful flowers, but instead of them there are wonderful cones that grow at the ends of the branches, at first they are soft and green, and then harden. In some, such as cedar, they may initially be purple.
Coniferous trees are a storehouse useful substances for health. Needles, cones and even bark are used. In addition, their wood is an excellent building material.
Remembered a little about coniferous representatives? Now let's take a closer look at some of them.
Do you know that?! All coniferous trees emit a special substance - resin. Under the influence of time, a beautiful pebble is obtained from it - amber. Have you heard about this one? Sometimes inside the amber resin you can see frozen insects that got there a long time ago and became inside forever.
In the 18th century, a unique Amber Room was created from amber. Its owner, the Prussian king, presented the masterpiece to the Russian Peter I. Only now, during the Second World War, this room strangely disappeared, leaving behind many myths. Where she is now, no one knows.
Spruce
Who does not know the evergreen symbol of the New Year? This is probably the most popular tree, known to everyone - from small to large.
It is distributed almost throughout our country. Spruce grows up to 35 meters, but there are also specimens up to 50 meters tall. The Christmas tree lives on average about 300 years.
An infusion of spruce needles is used as an antimicrobial agent, and essential oils help cure colds and boost immunity. Healing ointments and balms are made from green cones and spruce buds, and for those who like to bathe in a bath, there is nowhere without a healing spruce broom.
Spruce wood is used as a material for the production of boards and plywood, which are then used to make roofs, stairs, doors, floors and ceilings in houses. The highest quality alpine spruce species are taken for the manufacture of the body of stringed musical instruments. And they make paper out of it.
This is interesting! Norway spruce under the name Old Tiko lives in Sweden. And she would not have been any different from others if she had not already turned 9550 years old!
Pine
No less popular than spruce, and many of these conifers do not distinguish. In fact, it is easy to distinguish a pine tree: it has bluish-green needles and is longer, growing in pairs or bunches. The tree grows up to 40 meters and lives for about 350 years. In good harvest years, up to 1.5 thousand cones can be counted on a pine tree.
A young pine has a crown in the form of a cone, but over time its appearance changes - the older the pine, the rounder and wider its crown. But in a very old tree, the top becomes flat like an umbrella.
Pine buds unopened in spring are widely used in medicine. They contain resin, starch and vitamins. Pine oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
Pine wood enters the construction market in the form of lumber and then goes to build houses. Like spruce, it is used for roofs and floors, doors and building cladding.
In addition, it is suitable for making furniture. Children's toys are made from it, it is a material for building piles and poles. Burning pine wood produces soot, which is used to make paints and inks. And pine is also used for the manufacture of sleepers for railway And they make paper out of it too.
Data. Three types of pine - Pitsunda (grows in the Caucasus), Cretaceous (found in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions), densely flowered (lives in the Primorsky Territory) are listed in the Red Book.
Larch
This tree is considered the most common in Russia, especially in the middle lane and in Siberia.
Although larch is classified as a coniferous tree, it is not called so in vain. Unlike all other evergreens, this is the only coniferous representative that sheds its needles for the winter.
The tree grows up to 50 meters, and lives on average about 400 years. But there are also centenarians who are over 800 years old. The cone-shaped openwork crown of larch is formed from flattened bright green needles that grow in spirals or bunches.
Larch needles are used for medical purposes, as among all conifers it is the leader in the content of vitamin C.
But most of all, larch is used for industrial purposes. In terms of its properties, its wood is second only to oak, therefore it often serves as a shipbuilding material. Sometimes larch is used in paint and varnish and soap production.
Data. It has long been known that Venice was built on larch wood pillars. But not everyone knows that this tree formed the basis of piles during the construction of St. Petersburg. And all because strong larch is able to remain in water for a long time.
Olginskaya larch is a rare specimen listed in the Red Book.
Fir
This coniferous representative is a resident of the European part, it can be found in Siberia and the Caucasus. A tree about 50 meters high, some species can live up to 700 years. Unlike other conifers, fir cones grow like candles upwards.
The needles of the tree are flat and soft, painted on top with dark green color and has a white stripe underneath. His appearance fir is very similar to spruce, so these trees are often confused. From a distance it reminds green color pyramid.
The healing properties of fir buds, bark and needles are known to medicine. Fir oil is widely used in cosmetology. In Siberia, everyone knows health-improving fir brooms.
Soft fir wood is used to make furniture. Sometimes in shipbuilding it is taken as a material for the construction of ship masts.
This is interesting! Today there are about 50 species of fir, among which there is the tallest tree in Russia - the Caucasian fir. This tree grows as tall as a 30-story building.
Cedar
This is another well-known coniferous tree that can be found in the south and east of our country. The tree reaches a length of 50 meters and can live up to 500 years. This is the second coniferous representative, in which the cones grow upwards. Cedar needles are distinguished by their blue-green color, they are quite long, about 10-14 centimeters, and grow 30-40 needles in a bunch.
Many species of these trees are called cedar pines, in which nuts are valued. In Siberia, vegetable cream is prepared from cedar nucleoli, because they contain almost 80% fat.
Valuable cedar wood is used to build ships and make furniture. The red wood of the Mediterranean cedar is used as a material for woodcarving.
Cedar is a source of substances used in medicine and perfumery. Its specific smell soothes and relieves anxiety.
This is interesting! Cedar wood has been used since ancient times. It is mentioned as the material from which the Temple in Jerusalem was built. And the Egyptians made sarcophagi for their kings from cedar.
Many poems have been written about coniferous trees and songs have been composed. Invite classmates to remember them. And then sing the most famous! Chorus!
Like last time, I talked only about the five most famous coniferous representatives. If there is a desire, this list can be expanded, because, let me remind you, there are about 600 evergreens! So keep it up! See you soon on the pages of the ShkolaLa blog.
Success in your studies!
Evgenia Klimkovich