Sitka spruce, Coast spruce, Tideland spruce, Alaska spruce
Picea sitchensis
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
A very large tree. It grows to 55 m high and the trunk can be 200 cm across. The trunk is very large and often has buttresses at the base. The leaves are straight and flattened. They are 20-30 mm long. They are keeled underneath and have a sharp point. They are yellowish-green on the upper surface. There are prominent lines of white dots underneath. The needles tend to be at right angles to the twigs. The cones are broad and like a cylinder. They are 5-10 cm long. The scales are yellow to light brown. They are thin and brittle. They are loose fitting. They are broadest near the middle. They are wavy, irregular and toothed along the edge. Cones open in autumn and shed in the months following. The seeds are reddish-brown.
There are between 30 and 40 species of Picea.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in the foggy zone along the Pacific coast in Canada and USA. It grows inland for 150 km and to about 500 m altitude. It suits wetter places. It suits hardiness zones 4-8. Arboretum Tasmania. Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, Falklands, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, North America, Slovenia, Tasmania, USA
How it is used for food
The sap or pitch is chewed like chewing gum. It can also be boiled. The inner bark is cooked and dried and stored for later use. The buds are used for food. The young shoots are eaten raw.
Edible parts
Flowers, gum, inner bark, seeds, seedspod, tea, shoots
How it is grown
Plants are grown by seed.
Trees live for 700-800 years.