E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Picea sitchensis (Bong.) CarriΦre
Sitka spruce
Pinaceae (Pine Family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jim Dickson  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #3505)
Distribution of Picea sitchensis
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Introduction

This is a tall evergreen coniferous trees species that is found from southeast Alaska south to northern California.

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.



Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of BC
General:
Tall tree, up to 90 m tall; bark greyish-brown to purplish, scaly, thin; young twigs glabrous; main branches of tree noticably long and horizontal with drooping branchlets.
Leaves:
Needles sharp, flattened; standing out in all directions; pungent.
Cones:
Seed cones 5-9 cm long, reddish-brown to yellowish-brown, scales rounded and finely irregularly toothed at tip; pollen cones red.
Notes:
Hybridizes with P. glauca and P. engelmannii (see notes under P. glauca and P. engelmannii).

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Flower Colour:
Yellow
USDA Blooming Period:
Late Spring
USDA Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Fall
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Picea sitchensis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2008)
Site Information
 Value / Class

Average

Minimum

Maximum
Elevation (metres)
 144 0 1440
Slope Gradient (%)
 24.6 0 125

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

 265.6 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		4.0 0 9
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 Rich
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 1523
Modal BEC Zone Class
 CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

 AT(21), BWBS(1), CDF(2), CWH(1193), ESSF(2), ICH(7), MH(61), MS(1), SBS(62)

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-intolerant, submontane to montane, Pacific North American evergreen conifer. Occurs in hypermaritime to maritime cool mesothermal climates on nitrogen-rich soils. Avoids moisture-deficient and nutrient-deficient soils. Its occurrence increases with increasing latitude and precipitation and decreases with increasing elevation and continentality. Forms pure, open-canopy stands along the outer coast on sites affected by ocean spray and brackish water, and in advanced stages of primary succession on floodplains. Usually associated with black cottonwood, western hemlock, or western redcedar. Most productive on fresh and moist, nutrient-very rich soils within very wet cool mesothermal climates. Characteristic of hypermaritime mesothermal forests.

Source:  Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the:  "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is cool mesothermal.

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic slopes and river terraces in the lowland and montane zones; common in extreme W BC; N to SE AK and S to N CA.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of BC

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Pinaceae
 Flora North America treatment for Picea sitchensis
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the Missouri Botanical Garden
 Vascular Plant Type Database, New York Botanical Gardens
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

Burke Museum of Natural History's Image Collection
 Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
 Google Image Search
 Flickr Image Search

Related Databases

FDA Poisonous Plant Database

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
 General Botanical References for BC
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2013. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 5/22/2013 11:36:17 AM ]
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E-Flora BC: An initiative of the Spatial Data Lab, Department of Geography UBC, and the UBC Herbarium.