In general, there are no doubts about what a tree, a palm or a cactus is, but when you start to investigate a little more and discover the evolution that each type of plant has had, you realize that, although they can be very Similar, have important differences that make them unique.
With this in mind, you can sometimes wonder if conifers are trees, or if they form an independent group of plant beings. If that has been your case, it's time to do a brief review of basic botany 🙂.
What is a tree?
In order to find the answer to our question, the first thing we have to know is what a tree. As well, a tree is a woody-stemmed plant that branches at a certain height from the ground which depending on who you consult will be different but, at least, it will be at two meters. Other than that, produces new secondary branches every year. These sprout from a single trunk, with clear apical dominance.
And the conifers?
Conifers are a type of tree, the oldest of all. They appeared about 359 million years ago and will probably continue to evolve for many more million years. Are gymnosperm plants with very unique characteristics: the leaves are very thin, so much so that instead of being called with this name they are known as needles; the fruits are usually conical in shape; have a very long life expectancy, to the point that species have been found, such as those of the genus Sequoia, that have lived more than 3000 years.
In addition, although they have a generally slow growth rate, they are able to withstand very low temperatures. Depending on the species, up to -18ºC.
Conifers are a primitive plants. They have been on Earth for a long time, and they are impressive, don't you think? 🙂