From extensive winter hardiness studies of conifers growing in different parts of the world, large differences in winter hardiness are evident among families and genera. Very hardy conifers have evolved from four northern genera of Pinaceae: Pinus, Picea, Larix, and Abies. Winter hardiness of conifers varies with the minimum winter temperature of their natural range. The freezing resistance of most conifers is characterized by the relative susceptibility of the shoot and flower primordia of buds to freezing. The shoot and flower primordia of conifers, except the genus Pinus, survive freezing by extraorgan freezing. The results are discussed with reference to evolution of cold hardiness of conifers.
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A. Sakai (1983) studied this question.