The Tree

Sitka Spruce is the largest of all spruces in this country, reaching a height of 160 feet or more and a diameter of from three to eight feet. The trunk is generally swollen at the base, but with a high clear stem, in dense stands, of 50 to 75 feet. The bark is very thin for a tree of this size, being only one-quarter to one-half inch thick. It is a deep reddish brown or dark purple color and broken into large thin scales. The needles are stiff, prickly, sharply pointed and stand out almost at right angles to the twig and grow all around it. The cones are from two to four inches long, hang down conspicuously from the ends of the high branchlets and are a pale yellow to reddish chocolate color. The largest known living spruce in the world is a Sitka Spruce now growing in the State of Washington. It is 280 feet high and 14 feet in diameter.

Common Names in Use

Sitka Spruce(trade) Tideland Spruce(Cal., Oreg, Great Tideland Spruce(Cal., lit.) Wash.) Menzies’ Spruce Western Spruce Silver Spruce(trade) Western Sitka Spruce(trade) SequoiaSilver Spruce(trade) West CoastSpruce(trade) Spruce(trade) Yellow Spruce(trade)

Growth Range

Where does this tree grow?

The Wood

Features and attributes of this wood

Uses

What is this wood used for? Cabinets, fencing, decking?

Reference