About

Picea sitchensis, the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to just over 100 meters (330 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m (16 ft). It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth-largest conifer in the world (behind giant sequoia, coast redwood, kauri, and western redcedar), and the third-tallest tree species (after coast redwood and South Tibetan cypress). The Sitka spruce is one of only three species documented to exceed 100 m (330 ft) in height. Its name is derived from the community of Sitka in southeast Alaska, where it is prevalent. Its range hugs the western coast of Canada and the US and continues south into northern California.

How to grow it

The root bark of Sitka spruce trees is used in Native Alaskan basket-weaving designs and for rain hats. The pitch was used for caulking, chewing, and its medicinal properties. Native Americans heated and plied the roots to make cord. The resin was used as glue and for waterproofing. Natives and pioneers split off shakes for construction use. The wood is light and relatively strong.

Sitka spruce is of major importance in forestry for timber and paper production. Outside its native range, it is particularly valued for its fast growth on poor soils and exposed sites where few other trees can prosper; in ideal conditions, young trees may grow 1.5 m (5 ft) per year. It is naturalized in some parts of Ireland and Great Britain, where it was introduced in 1831 by David Douglas, and New Zealand, though not so extensively as to be considered invasive. Sitka spruce is also planted extensively in Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. In Norway, Sitka spruce was introduced in the early 1900s.

Safety

The stilbene glucosides astringin, isorhapontin, and piceid can be found in the bark of the Sitka spruce.

Where it grows

Sitka spruce is native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit near Fort Bragg in northern California. It is closely associated with the temperate rainforests and is found within a few kilometers of the coast in the southern portion of its range. North of Oregon, its range extends inland along river floodplains, but seldom does its range extend more than around 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean and its inlets. It is situated at about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level in Alaska and generally below 450 m (1,480 ft) further south.

Other Picea plants

Norway Spruce · Interior spruce · Alcock's Spruce · Dragon Spruce · Orange Spruce · Picea austropanlanica · Sargent's Spruce · Brewer's Spruce · Chihuahua Spruce · Qinghai Spruce · Engelmann Spruce · Farrer spruce