Our Local Ecology The Land - Tree IdentificationSpruce Trees Black Spruce - Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.Other Common Names: Red Spruce, Double Spruce, Water Spruce, Swamp Spruce. Black spruce grows throughout Prince Edward Island and is confined mainly to low damp places. In sphagnum bogs it usually is dwarfed to a mere shrub. It is a small tree from 30 to 50 feet in height and from 6 to 9 inches in diameter, although under favourable conditions it will grow much larger. The trunk is straight with little taper. On old trees the crowns are open and irregular with slender drooping branches which turn up at the ends, while on young trees the crowns are narrow and symmetrical with short slender almost horizontal branches. The bluish-green appearance of this spruce makes it distinguishable from the other spruces. Black spruce is very valuable for pulpwood on account of its density and long fibres. It is also used for mine timbers and similar purposes. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Needle-like, 4-sided in a cross-section, sharp-pointed, sometimes spreading away from the lower side of the twig, 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long, blue-green. FLOWERS: May-June, unisexual, male dark red, female purple both on same tree. FRUIT: August; an ovoid, purplish-green cone 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long, brown and spherical when open, the scales stiff, rounded, with irregular toothed markings; opening at maturity, but often remaining on the tree for many years. TWIGS: Moderately slender, hairy, reddish-brown; buds sharp-pointed, about 1 1/8 of an inch long light reddish-brown, completely covered by their long, awl-like basal scales. BARK: Thin, scaly, greyish to reddish-brown; inner bark usually olive-green WOOD: Moderately light and soft, straight-grained, non-porous; yellowish-white with paler sapwood. The Black Spruce is the provincial tree of Newfoundland & Labrador.
Red Spruce - Pices rubens (Sarg.)Other Common Names: Yellow Spruce, Spruce. Red spruce is found in scattered patches throughout this province. Here it is a medium sized tree, reaching a height of 70 feet and up to 18 inches in diameter. The trunk is straight with little taper. The crown is conical and narrow. The middle and upper branches grow out at right angles to the trunk and then curve up the ends. The lower branches usually droop. It is grown on many types of soils but reaches its largest size on well-drained loams in moist valleys together with balsam fir, white spruce, yellow birch, sugar maple and hemlock. Although small scattered pure stands of Red spruce do occur here, it generally is mixed with other species. The red spruce is easily distinguished from white spruce by orange-brown hairy twigs and ovoid cones with slightly tooth scales and from black spruce by its yellow-green foliage and the shape of the cones. The wood is extensively used for general construction, pulpwood, boxes and crates. It is similar to white and black spruce and is usually marketed with them under the common name "spruce". DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Needle-like, 4-sided, in cross-section, stiff, sharp-pointed, curved towards the upper side of the twig, 1/4 to 1 5/8 of an inch long, bright yellow-green. FLOWERS: May; unisexual; male bright red, female purple, on the same tree. FRUIT: September, an ovoid, green to purplish-green cone, 1 1/4 to 2 inches long, the scales stiff, rounded, and entire or slightly toothed on the margins; turning reddish-brown and opening at maturity, falling during the winter. TWIGS: Moderately stout, more or less hairy, orange brown, completely covered by their sharp-pointed basal scales. BARK: Thin, the outer layers separating into small, thin closely attached, reddish brown scales; inner bark buff-coloured. WOOD: Moderately soft, strong and light, straight grained, and porous; nearly white to light yellowish-brown. The Red Spruce is the provincial tree of Nova Scotia.
White Spruce - Pices glauca (Moench) VossOther Common Names: Single Spruce, Skunk Spruce, Northern Spruce, Pine, Cat Spruce, Yellow Spruce. White spruce is found throughout P.E.I. in pure stands or in mixtures with red spruce, balsam fir, white birch and the aspens. White spruce is the main species regenerated on old, abandoned farms, where it forms dense stands. It attains a height of 70 feet with a diameter of 20 inches. The trunk is often very branchy and the crown is deep except in very dense stands. The crown is also very symmetrical and narrow and at a distance has a spire-like appearance. It grows best on well-drained, moist, gravelly soil along streams and around the borders of swamps. White spruce is used for lumber and pulpwood. The wood is noted for its resilience. Because it has good resonant qualities it is used as sounding boards in musical instruments. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Needle-like, 4 sided in cross section, stiff, sharp-pointed, usually twisted and crowded towards the upper side of the twig 1/3 to 3 1/4 of an inch long, bright green, pungent odour when bruised. FLOWERS: May-June unisexual, male pale red, soon appearing yellow, female with red or yeIlow-green scales, both on same tree. FRUIT: Autumn; a cylindrical pale green pendent cone, turning brown at maturity 1 1/2 to 2 inch long, scales thin. Flexible, straight or slightly rounded and smooth on the margins; opening at maturity falling before new cones are formed. TWIGS: Slender, smooth or only sparsely hairy, orange-brown to grey; buds blunt 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long with overlapping chestnut-brown scales. BARK: Ash-brown to silvery, thin, the outer layers separating into thin closely attached scales, inner bark streaked with reddish brown layers. WOOD: Straight-grained, soft, light non-porous; nearly white to pale yellowish brown. The White Spruce is the provincial tree of Ontario.  Copyright
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