This is quite common. It has something to do with adapting to
the environment that the plant is exposed to at different stages
of growth.


"TMS" wrote in message
...
Thanks very much for your reply. It clarified the question
completely for me. I was not aware that juvenile foliage might
be quite different from the adult type.

TMS
"TMS" wrote in message
...
This tree was bought as a 12" "living Christmas tree" by my
daughter in December of 2008. She had no place to transplant
it after the holidays, and, rather than discard it, she gave
it to me to plant in my back yard. Much to my surprise the new
growth was not spruce, but pbvious pine needles. There is no
evidence of any grafting. The original lower portion of the
tree remains healthy spruce, but all new growth is pine,
including sme pine needles growing on the orinal spruce
branches, as seen the the photographs. No one to whom I have
shown the tree has rational any explanation for this
phenomenon, and I am curious to learn what the explanation
might be for such a transition. Is this (1) unusual, (2)
reasonably common, or (3) totally bizarre?

Here are the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10531633@N00/

Thanks,

TMS