Here's a close-up of the bursts of life on this shrub. Remember, each
tuft is only about half an inch in diameter.

http://s246.photobucket.com/albums/g...ngconifer2.jpg

Yes, Sacha, maybe the tuft is just a survival technique and in the best
circumstances the tuft would continue growing into a stalk, as in the
pics of the Picea. Is this known to happen in conifers?

Eddy.