Why do fir trees have cones?
They’re the woody storage vessels to contain the Fir tree’s seeds. Fir trees belong to the group of trees often referred to as conifers, as they have cones. The seeds of conifers are held open in the cones and therefore available to the huge quantities of conifer pollen that is released by the trees in great clouds in order to fertilise the seeds. Very simply put, the pollen drifts on the wind, gets caught in the gaps in the cones and bonds with the seeds. Conifers are gymnosperms. Gymno meaning naked and sperm meaning seed. Hence the naked seeds in cones. It’s a remarkably simple way for the trees to reproduce and yet there are only approximately 550 species of gymnosperms (cone bearers) like the Fir, but 250,000 angiosperm (flowering plants) species! No insects required, just plenty of wind! Cones are also very tough, which is superbly designed to suit the harsh and exposed conditions in which most of these plants grow.
