Let me begin by saying there were very few coniferous trees on the farm; regardless, I should have known better.
In last Wednesday’s Grandma Says column, I shared a photo of what I thought were pinecones. A few of you kindly reached out the set the record straight.
The first was Jamie:
“I always enjoy your columns! I noticed though that the photo in today's (Wednesday, Nov 25th) Chronicle Herald was of spruce cones, not pinecones.
I have noticed that a lot of people tend to refer to all of our conifers (needle and cone-bearing trees) as pines. We actually have three species of spruce (red, black and white), one species of fir (balsam fir - the Christmas tree), tamarack, hemlock, and three species of pine (red, white and jack). Oh, and cedar too ... although rare in Nova Scotia, they're common in New Brunswick.
Just for fun, I'll attach a photo I took of a tamarack branch. Tamarack is our only conifer that loses its needles in winter ... but first, they turn a gorgeous golden colour.”
Best wishes, Jamie Simpson
(currently a lawyer, but also a forester)
Can I trust that Jamie is correct? I would say it’s safe to do so. Jamie has written a couple of books on forests and trees: Restoring the Acadian Forest, and Journeys through Eastern Old-Growth Forests.
The next day, this arrived from Ron:
“Enjoy your pics and reports. That photo today - you described pinecones; the picture, however, is of spruce cones! They are both very plentiful this year.”
Cheers, Ron Whynacht
Then I remembered receiving an email about spruce cones.
“Hello, Cindy,
Could you please explain why there seems to be an abundance of spruce cones on the south shore of P.E.I.? I can’t speak for other parts of the Island. Would Grandma feel this is a prediction of weather to come or that was?
Anyway, I do enjoy your Guardian weather page and I look forward to your daily column. Thanks for this, and stay safe. - Norah Henry.”
If Grandma is correct, the abundance of cones - spruce or pine or otherwise - does signal a harsh winter.
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network