conifer

American  

[koh-nuh-fer, kon-uh-] / ˈkoʊ nə fər, ˈkɒn ə- /

noun

1. any of numerous, chiefly evergreen trees or shrubs of the class Coniferinae (or group Coniferales), including the pine, fir, spruce, and other cone-bearing trees and shrubs, and also the yews and their allies that bear drupelike seeds.

2. a plant producing naked seeds in cones, or single naked seeds as in yews, but with pollen always borne in cones.

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conifer British  

/ ˈkəʊnɪfə, ˈkɒn- /

noun

1. any gymnosperm tree or shrub of the phylum Coniferophyta , typically bearing cones and evergreen leaves. The group includes the pines, spruces, firs, larches, yews, junipers, cedars, cypresses, and sequoias

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conifer Scientific  

/ kŏn′ə-fər /

1. Any of various gymnosperms that bear their reproductive structures in cones and belong to the phylum Coniferophyta. Conifers evolved around 300 million years ago and, as a group, show many adaptations to drier and cooler environments. They are usually evergreen and often have drought-resistant leaves that are needle-shaped or scalelike. They depend on the wind to blow pollen produced by male cones to female cones, where fertilization takes place and seeds develop. Conifers are widely distributed, but conifer species dominate the northern forest biome known as the taiga. There are some 550 species of conifers, including the pines, firs, spruces, hemlocks, cypresses, junipers, yews, and redwoods.

2. See more at pollination seed-bearing plant

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Etymology

Origin of conifer

1350–1400; Middle English conefere < Latin cōnifer coniferous, equivalent to cōn ( us ) cone + -i- + -fer -fer

Explanation

A conifer is a type of tree that produces cones and evergreen needles. Spot a pile of cones beneath a tree and you've found yourself a conifer. With the word cone embedded in it, it's no surprise that conifer is the term used for cone-producing trees. Conifers can often be identified by their typically long needle-shaped leaves like the kind you find on a Christmas tree. Mostly found in northern forests where the winters are cold, the tough prickly leaves on conifers make them adaptable to the weather.

Example Sentences

The spruce bark beetle, or Ips typographus, has been munching its way through the conifer trees of Europe for decades, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025

Angiosperms, or flowering plants, grew back faster and denser than the previously ubiquitous conifer relatives had been.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

They also found similarly amplifying feedbacks in other permafrost-relevant processes, like the loss of boreal conifer forests due to fire -- but here, too, only at the local to regional scale.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

The corridor offers sightseeing, sports and history amid conifer forests, alpine passes and more — but you’ll have to slow down a bit.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

Meanwhile our farm dances: the heavy conifer trees sway slowly, while the sagebrush and thistles quiver, bowing before every puff and pocket of air.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• cedar
• pine