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What’s This?

December 12, 2011 By

Do you know what this is? Hint: It’s a growth on a balsam tree.

Filed Under: Questions, Robin's Journal, Spruce, Balsam Fir & Hemlock

Comments

  1. Glenn says
    December 17, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Those are the cores of the cones. In true firs, not Douglas-fir, the cones stand upright on the small branches. In pines and spruces and other conifers the cones hang downward.

    In true firs the cones don’t open to release seeds but the cone scales drop off and the seeds fall.

    This picture shows last year’s cone cores and the new cone http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=balsam+fir+cones&hl=en&sa=X&biw=828&bih=526&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=i5V4KMaYw8T34M:&imgrefurl=http://www.conifers.org/pi/Abies_balsamea.php&docid=thbGBb0_ZRWpOM&imgurl=http://www.conifers.org/pi/ab/balsamea01.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=b7bsTsSoFZPZiQKCzrGLBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=339&vpy=209&dur=10829&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=131&ty=119&sig=112145818896924827031&page=5&tbnh=134&tbnw=212&start=32&ndsp=7&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:32