In the bird world, males often display colorful plumage while  females have more subdued colors. In the world of conifers, the female cones outdo the males. 

Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' with female cones on upper branches and male cones on lower ones.

Small male cones are pollen bearing structures.  Larger female cones have two kinds of scales. Bract scales form first, followed by the seed bracts which hold ovules. Once the ovules are fertilized by pollen they begin to develop into seeds. These young female cones can emerge in wonderful shades of red, purple or blue.  Others appear in pale greens, sometimes with a rosy tint to the scale edges.  With their fleshy scales, juniper and yew cones bear a resemblance to berries.

Picea abies 'Pusch' cones.

Cones can take several years to mature. They ripen and disperse seeds at different rates, and some, for example Pinus banksiana, need fire to open. Below is a Pinus parviflora 'Ibo-can' with cones from three different years.  The new cone at the tip of the branch is diminutive compared to the older one in the interior.  As they mature and begin to dry, they turn into the brown cones so familiar to us.

Conifer trees begin coning at different levels of maturity.  Cultivars developed for early coning are a favorite among conifer lovers. It's quite a sight in spring as cones begin their growth. Some hang from the tips of branches, some sit perched on top. Others cluster among the foliage. Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) have very distinctive cones, with the long bract scales visible between the seed scales. There is even a charming tale about how the bract scale came to be.

Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Sinclair's Weeping'

Conifer seeds exist first and foremost for the perpetuation of the species.   Like any other seeds, they also serve as food sources for wildlife and humans. Juniper "berries" are used to flavor gin and also find their way to the table in traditional European dishes.  Come take a walk at the nursery and see how many different types of cones you can spot.