Picea glauca — white spruce
![Fruits: Picea glauca. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-glauca-fr-ahaines.jpg)
![Fruits: Picea glauca. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-glauca-fr-efarnsworth.jpg)
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Facts
White spruce hails from northern climes and is one of the first tree species to colonize after glaciers recede. The waxy coating on its needles gives them a blue-green (glaucous) appearance, hence the specific epithet (glauca). White spruce is the most commercially important timber species in the far north woods, used for wood fiber, house logs, and musical instruments. It was an important fuel source for early colonists and native americans of the north woods. It provides cover for moose, martens, and lynx.
Habitat
Forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Winter bud shape
- the winter buds are ovoid (egg-shaped)
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- NA
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- NA
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo position
- there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale
- Seed cone umbo spine
- NA
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Leaf base
- the base of the needle-like leaf is narrow (not expanded) at the attachment point
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
- the bark has small resin blisters on it
- Branchlet thickness
- 2–4 mm
- Leaves on shoots
- the needle-like leaves do not grow in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- the twig has bloom on it
- Twig hair type
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig hairs
- the twig does not have hairs
- Twig winter color
- brown
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Picea glauca (Moench) Voss n
white spruce. Picea canadensis (P. Mill.) B.S.P.; Pinus glauca Moench • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Mesic forests, sometimes also found in other hydrologic regimes, occasionally a dominant conifer in maritime habitats. This species is naturalized in CT, MA, RI.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Picea rubens:
- both species with minutely hairy branchlets that lack bloom and seed cone scales minute teeth along the apical margin (vs. P. glauca, with branchlets that lack hairs and have a thin layer of bloom and seed cone scales that are entire along the apical margin).
Synonyms
- Picea canadensis (P. Mill.) B.S.P.
- Pinus glauca Moench