Pine needles have three key features when compared to flat leaves.
- They have a thicker outer coating,
- Ther have a thicker layer of protective wax.
- They also have less surface area because of their shape.
- Pine needles let less water evaporate from the tree when compared with flat leaves. This conservation of water is crucial to the survival of the tree in arid climates and is what allows the tree to survive through the cold winter months.
-The needles grows in pairs out of a short shoot
- Pine needles can hang onto a tree for up to 5 years. Most fall off when they reach maturity.
-The Pine tree loses its oldest needles mainly in the fall.
Picture taken during our lecture at the urban Naturscape of Universitetet, Stockholm
Matilda Weibull Lindborg