Picea glauca
white spruce
Overview
Picea glauca is an evergreen coniferous tree 50-100 feet (15-30 m) tall with a dense, conical to spire-like crown and a straight trunk. The four-sided needles are 0.4-0.75 inch (10-19 mm) long, blue-green to dark green with a waxy bloom, set spirally and densely on hairless twigs, and release a sharp, musky odour when crushed that gives rise to the name cat spruce. The bark is thin, grey-brown, and flaky. Slender, hanging cones 1-2.5 inches (2.5-6 cm) long ripen from green to pale tan in autumn, with thin, flexible, smooth-edged scales, and fall whole after shedding seed. P. glauca is among the chief trees of the North American boreal forest, growing across the continent from Alaska to Newfoundland on a wide range of soils. It is slow to moderate in growth and very cold-hardy, but struggles with heat, drought, air pollution, and spider mites in warm regions. The shallow roots make tall trees prone to windthrow on exposed sites.
Native Range
Picea glauca is native across northern North America, forming a transcontinental band of boreal forest from Alaska and the Yukon east to Labrador and Newfoundland, and south into the northern United States. It grows on glacial soils, riverbanks, and rocky uplands throughout the boreal zone.Suggested Uses
Planted as a windbreak, screen, and specimen tree in cold-climate gardens, parks, and shelterbelts. It is grown for timber, pulpwood, and as a cut Christmas tree across the north. The dense evergreen form suits large, open, naturalistic landscapes.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height50' - 100'
Width/Spread10' - 20'
Reaches mature size in approximately 40 years
Bloom Information
As a conifer it bears cones rather than flowers. Pollen is shed from small male cones in spring, usually May, while young reddish female cones stand upright before bending down to mature. Seed cones ripen by late summer and drop over autumn and winter.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
blue-green to dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
