Conifers reproduce through male and female cones, with pollen from the male cones fertilizing eggs in the female cones to produce seeds. The seeds grow protected inside the cones for up to two years before the cone opens and the seeds are dispersed by wind or animals. If the seeds land in soil, they can germinate and grow into seedlings and eventually mature trees that will themselves produce cones, continuing the life cycle.

1. Life Cycle of a Conifer
Tree

2. 
Trees that grow cones are called Conifers.

3. 
Have you ever looked closely at a pine cone?
What do you notice about it?

4. Female cone
Male cone
Most coniferous
trees have both male
and female cones.
Female cones contain
eggs.
Male cones are small
and soft. They make
pollen. Once the
pollen is released,
male cones shrivel
up.
When the egg is
pollinated a seed
develops

5. The pollen from the male cone fertilzes the female
egg to produce the seed inside the cone.

6. Cones are made up of many scales that serve to
protect the seeds as they mature.

7. 
The seeds grow at the bottom of the scales.
The seeds can grow for two years.
Growing Seed

8. 
When it is time, the cone opens up and falls to
the ground.

9. 
Wind blows the seeds around. Small Animals
like Chipmunks eat the cone and seeds get
spread even more.

10. 
The seeds will lay in soil and be watered by rain.
The seeds will grow into small plants called
seedlings.

11. 
The seedlings will grow to become small
conifer trees called saplings. These sapling trees
are too young to produce cones.

12. The small saplings take a long time to grow to be
a mature Conifer. It can take as long as 70 years
or more.

13. Once the tree is mature, it will produce cones
again that contain the seeds and the cycle will
continue!