Spruce

There are various species of Spruce. They can be hard to tell apart, but they all share certain characteristics. These evergreen, 60-100 ft tall trees with a cone-shaped silhouette prefer moist sites in forests and mountainous regions.

Four-sided needles are arranged in a spiral around the stem. The needles are attached to small pegs that remain behind after the needles drop. The cones hang downwards and fall to the ground.

Black and White Spruces are found in Canada and the northern United States. Engelmann Spruces are found in the western mountains of Canada and the United States. Sitka Spruces have stiff, sharp needles and are found in a narrow band along the northwest coast of North America.

Could it be? Spruce needles are shorter than Pine needles. Fir branches look flat as the needles grow out of two sides of the branch; Spruce needles grow on all sides of the branch.

Did you know? The Indigenous peoples of North America used the strong, flexible roots to lace together the Birch bark in their canoes.

See Also: Balsam Fir, Common Juniper, Douglas-fir, Engelmann Spruce, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Tamarack, Western Hemlock, Western Larch, Western Redcedar, Whitebark Pine

Easy - numerous and usually easy to spot in the habitats listed at the appropriate time of year.

Forests are large areas of trees growing close together.

Mountains are very high areas of land with steep sides leading to a peak. They are often connected to other mountains as part of a mountain range.

Urban areas have a large population within a defined area. This includes villages, towns, and cities.