Ever-awesome Evergreens

Have you ever wondered why evergreen trees make such great Christmas trees? They are always green! Evergreen trees are great for holiday decorating, but they also are strong trees that provide food and shelter for many forest animals. 

What Are Evergreen Trees?

Evergreen trees stay green all year long. These types of trees are known as conifers and include trees such as pine trees, firs, spruces, and cedars. Conifers also have cones that grow on their branches. Inside the cones are seeds that can grow into trees over 100 feet (30 meters) tall!

Why Are Evergreen Trees Always Green?

Evergreen trees have very strong leaves called needles. These needles catch sunlight to make food energy for the trees. The needles also have a waxy coating that helps keep water inside the trees. This helps the evergreen trees stay green all year!

Where Do Evergreen Trees Grow?

Evergreen trees can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Many evergreen trees grow in North America, Asia, and Europe. Most people think that evergreen trees only grow in cold places, but some evergreen trees like cedars can be found in deserts.

Holly Jolly Evergreens

Did you know that the special holiday plant known as holly is an evergreen? Holly trees usually have waxy, dark-green leaves and red berries. They are popular in Europe and North America to use as decorations during the Christmas season. 

Fun Facts About Evergreens

• Giant sequoias are the world’s largest trees. They can grow to be nearly 300 feet (91 meters) tall and over 20 feet (6 meters) wide!
• The tallest tree in the world is a redwood tree in California’s Redwood National Park. It is 380 feet (115.8 meters) tall!
• About 1 million acres of land in the United States are used as Christmas tree farms.
• Palm trees are considered evergreen trees because they do not shed their leaves in any season.

God’s Love—Like Evergreen Trees

Isn’t it wonderful that God has created so many amazing living things on Earth for us to enjoy? All of God’s creation points back to God’s awesome power and glory. Evergreen trees can also remind us of God’s love for us. Even though evergreen trees eventually die over time, God’s love for us will never die, turn brown, or dry up. The Bible even talks about evergreens in the book of Psalms:

     The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

     they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

     planted in the house of the Lord,

     they will flourish in the courts of our God (Ps. 92:11-12).

The next time you decorate your Christmas tree, remember that God’s love for you is everlasting!