Why are Christmas trees shaped like cones?
(Lansing State Journal, December 23, 1992)
The conic shape of evergreen trees is due to the high rate at which the apical bud (the bed at the top of the tree) grows compared with the lateral buds (the buds at the tip of the branches). In a leafed tree, all the buds grow at almost the same rate. The stem and the branches are of similar size, giving a rounder look to the tree. On an evergreen, the longest (and lowest) branches will be at he bottom of the tree while the youngest (and shortest) branches will be near the top.
This creates a cone shape.
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