Balsam-fir candles

As a student of botany I often need to develop short-cuts and visual field cues to aid in remembering key features. I am certain that we all have mental blocks about remembering certain facts. For years I confused identification of mature balsam-fir and spruce trees.  Just could not seem to remember which was which, when the branches were 'way up there'. I could never discern the bark differences.

All conifers produce cones. The familiar woody cones we find on the ground are the mature female cones that open to release the seeds. Rightfully called strobili (singular: strobilus), the staminate or male cones are herbaceous, dropping soon after pollen is released. The female or pistillate cones may take 6 to 24 months to open, depending on whether it is a spruce, pine, cedar or juniper. Each cone is made up of overlapping scales, spirally arranged. Each scale bears a seed. 

So fir-candles were a result of these musings. The balsam-fir is an important tree in those counties that produce Christmas trees. They are rarely so tall that the two-ranked needles can't be seen. However on the large, mature trees the presence of these lovely purplish cones serves as a visual cue for me. After all candles are never upside down and spruce wear their cones pendant. I am down with that!

Reg Newell shot this beautiful close-sup of a cluster of balsam-fir candles. It is one of 10 posters that wil be on display Wednesday April 8 at 7:00PM at the Museum of Natural History. Admission is free to the Museum that evening and the occasion marks the official launch of the NS Plants publication. Reg was one of nearly 40 photographers who donated the use of their plant images for this comprehensive eBook.