South Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Does an evergreen shrub generate heat however miniscule? I attach a phot taken at 11.30pm 11 01 2010. The shrub in question had a several centimetre topping during the current snow/cold spell but unlike every other plant in my garden seems to have got rid of its "topping" and got a circle of depressed snow around it. For all intents and purposes it seems to be thawing out where others..every one does not!
11 Jan, 2010
Answers
oops wrong place (newby)
11 Jan, 2010
I agree with Piersdad. The relatively dark leaves of the conifer will absorb the heat of the sun ( that orangy looking thing that sometimes appears in the sky) which is then radiated out to the surrounding environment. Although we still have nearly a foot of snow in the garden there is bare ground beneath some conifers.
11 Jan, 2010
and as it is alive it will generate heat through respiration. if you look carefully at snowdrops emerging there is a tiny gap between leaf and snow. this has melted due to the heat.
Many conifers also have a waxy upper layer that also helps snow slip of the leaf surface.
11 Jan, 2010
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its a dark color and adsorbed heat from the sun perhaps.
the dark leaves once rid of the snow will reradiat heat to melt the snow near it
11 Jan, 2010