How Does an Evergreen Tree Reproduce?.

Pinecones Most people don't know that not all pinecones are created alike. Evergreen trees are asexual, meaning they can self-reproduce. To do this, they need two genders of pinecones. The male pinecone, or staminate cone, is usually smaller than the female, or ovulate, cone. The job of the male cone is to make pollen in its microsporangia, small sacs under each "leaf" of the cone. The female cone has ovules toward the center of its structure, each holding an egg cell. The Process The male cone distributes pollen to the female via the wind. Depending on the direction the wind blows, it can transfer the pollen to another cone on the same plant or to another evergreen tree nearby. The female cone, which is often closed at this point, giving it a soft, green appearance, collects the pollen and begins the process of meiosis, or cell division, so that it can produce more than one seed from each egg. Most often the "leaves" of the female cone, called "seed scales" end up with two seeds on ...  more