Plant Family: Pinaceae
Growth Form: Medium-sized to large, densely branched, conical tree, up to 40 meters tall; in alpine zones it takes a stunted form.
Leaves: Prickly needles are 1 – 2.5 cm long, light blue-green on new growth, becoming darker green with age; the needles tend to crowd toward the upper side of the twig.
Bark: Gray-brown with thin scales; the twigs lack hairs.
Cones: Cylindrical, 3 – 6 cm long; like all spruces they are pendant from the branch; the flexible scales have smooth edges.
Habitat: Shorelines, stream sides, mountain slopes; prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.
Range: Transcontinental, from the Maritime provinces west throughout Canada to Alaska, as far north as the tree line; in the U.S. it ranges from northern New England west to the Great Lakes; there is a disjunct population in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Similar Species: Red Spruce has cones with stiff scales and is more open-branched; Black Spruce has a narrower spire-like growth form.
Comments: White Spruce is a dominant tree of North American boreal forests; it is an important commercial species, providing lumber and paper pulp; many birds and small mammals eat the seeds. White Spruce is the state tree of South Dakota and the provincial tree of Manitoba.
