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Picea sitchensis
Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière
Sitka Spruce
Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: pisi
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)
The world’s largest spruce, with tall, straight trunk, from buttressed base, and broad, open, conical crown of horizontal branches. Sitka spruce is usually a 50-100 ft. tree with wide spreading, rigidly branched and drooping branchlets. It can be much taller. Bark is scaly and dark red-brown. Needles are green on the lower surface, white above.
The main timber tree in Alaska, Sitka Spruce produces high-grade lumber for many uses and wood pulp for newsprint. Special products are piano sounding boards, boats, and food containers. It was formerly used in aircraft construction.
From the Image Gallery
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Fruit Type: Cone
Size Notes: Up to about 250 feet tall. Often much shorter.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Brown
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Apr , May
Distribution
USA: AK , CA , OR , WACanada: BC
Native Distribution: Pacific Coast region from s. AK through w. B.C. to n.w. CA
Native Habitat: Moist to swampy coastal areas
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist to wet soils.
Conditions Comments: Susceptible, especially in the Pacific Northwest, to defoliation by red spider and to malformation by spruce gall.
Propagation
Description: Sitka spruce is propagated from seed which is slow to germinate. Cuttings root in low percentages.Seed Treatment: No treatment is necessary, but seeds may benefit from 1-3 month stratification.
Commercially Avail: yes
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | FAC | FAC |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Web Reference
Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Additional resources
USDA: Find Picea sitchensis in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Picea sitchensis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Picea sitchensis
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-09-21Research By: TWC Staff