Picea sitchensis
Other names the Sitka Spruce is known by includes tideland spruce, and Menzies spruce. It is the largest of all spruce trees, being able to reach heights of over 200 feet tall.
It is a favored wood for building ships and aircrafts, due to its impressive strength to weight ratio. For this reason, many Sitka Spruce trees were harvested for the manufacturing of boats and airplanes in both World War I and World War II. Being that it is also an important species of old-growth habitat, the over harvesting of Sitka Spruce could pose a problem for the continued growth of forests.
Cones
Both male and female cones exist on each individual tree.
(Female)
- Red to yellow-brown
- Scales are wavy and irregularly shaped
- Grow on upper branches
- Larger than male cones
(Male)
- Red
- Small
- Grow on the ends of lower branches
“Cônes de l’ Epinette de Sitka, Picea sitchensis, Pinacées, Arboretum de Chèvreloup” by olive.titus is marked with CC PDM 1.0.
Leaves (Needles)
- Flat
- Pointed tips
- Stiff
- Four sided
- Arranged in a spiral
- Yellow-green on top, white on bottom
“IMGP3945” by Babij is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Did you know?
The Wright brothers used Sitka Spruce to construct their very first flying plane in 1903.
Distribution of Sitka Spruce in Washington and Oregon
Distribution of Sitka Spruce in Washington
Mushrooms Associated with Sitka Spruce
Agaricaceae
Agaricus
Agaricus moelleri
Agaricus smithii
Agaricus sylvicola
Albatrellus
Albatrellus flettii
Aleuria aurantia
Amanita
Amanita aprica
Amanita augusta
Amanita constricta
Amanita creuntilemurum
Amanita farinosa
Amanita muscaria
Amanita pachycolea
Amanita pantherina
Amanita pseudobreckonii
Boletus edulis
Boletus fibrillosus
Cantharellus
Cantharellus formosus
Cantharellus roseocanus
Chroogomphus tomentosus
Clitocybe
Clitocybe nebularis
Clitocybe vermicularis
Cortinarius
Cortinarius alboviolaceus
Cortinarius athabascus
Cortinarius fuligineofolius
Cortinarius iodeoides
Cortinarius multiformis
Cortinarius muscigenus
Cortinarius purpurascens
Cortinarius seidliae
Cortinarius smithii
Cortinarius traganus
Cortinarius violaceus
Craterellus tubaeformis
Yellowfoot Chanterelle
Fomitopsis
Fomitopsis mounceae
Fomitopsis ochracea
Fomitopsis pinicola
Ganoderma
Ganoderma applanatum
Ganoderma oregonense
Gastroboletus
Gastroboletus ruber
Gastroboletus turbinatus
Geastrum saccatum
Gomphidius glutinosus
Gomphus
Gomphus clavatus
Gomphus floccosus
Hebeloma velutipes
Helvella lacunosa
Hydnellum
Hydnellum caeruleum
Hydnellum cyanopodium
Hydnellum peckii
Hydnellum suaveolens
Hydnum
Hydnum oregonense
Hydnum washingtonianum
Hygrocybe
Hygrophorus
Hygrophorus erubescens
Hygrophorus olivaceoalbus
Hygrophorus pustulatus
Hygrophorus sitchensis
Hypogymnia
Inocybe
Inocybe cinnamomea
Inocybe suaveolens
Inocybe xanthomelas
Lactarius
Lactarius atrobadius
Lactarius aurantiosordidus
Lactarius deliciosus
Lactarius fallax
Lactarius pallescens
Lactarius substriatus
Lactarius subviscidus
Laricifomes officinalis
Laetiporus conifericola
Leptonia
Marasmiellus candidus
Mycena
Mycena amicta
Mycena oregonensis
Neolentinus
Neolentinus adhaerens
Neolentinus kauffmanii
Phaeocollybia
Phaeocollubia attenuata
Phaeocollubia fallax
Phaeocollubia gregaria
Phaeocollubia kauffmanii
Phaeocollubia lilacifolia
Phaeocollubia olivacea
Phaeocollubia piceae
Phaeolus schweinitzii
Pluteus cervinus
Phellodon
Phellodon atratus
Phellodon tomentosus
Polyporales
Porodaedalea pini
Porphyrellus
Porphyrellus olivaceobrunneus
Porphyrellus porphyrosporus
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
Pseudoinonotus dryadeus
Ramaria
Ramaria cyaneigranosa
Ramaria sandaracina
Rhizopogon
Rhodofomes cajanderi
Russula
Russula benwooii
Russula brevipes
Russula brunneola
Russula crassotunicata
Russula cremoricolor
Russula dissimulans
Russula fragrantissima
Russula grata
Russula graveolens
Russula ionochlora
Russula laurocerasi
Russula nigricans
Russula placita
Sarcodon
Sarcodon imbricatus
Sarcodon stereosarcinon
Stereopsis humphreyi
Stereum versicolor
Stropharia aeruginosa
Suillus
Suillus granulatus
Suillus lakei
Trichaptum abietinum
Tricholoma
Tricholoma inamoenum
Tricholoma vaccinum
Tricholoma virgatum
Tricholomopsis rutilans
Tylopilus porphyrosporus
Xerocomellus
Xerocomellus amylosporus
Xerocomellus zelleri
Xeromphalina campanella
