Picea glauca (Moench) Voss
white spruce
Pinaceae (Pine family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
white spruce
Pinaceae (Pine family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Introduction
This is an evergreen coniferous tree species that is found across Canada and in Alaska, northern Montana and Wyoming.
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Species Information
General:
Tree erect, up to 40 m tall; bark silvery-brown to blackish, scaly, thin; young twigs glabrous.
Leaves:
Needles pointed, stiff; standing out in all directions; 4-angled; aromatic when crushed.
Cones:
Seed cones 2.5-3.5 cm long, becoming yellowish-brown at maturity, scales rounded to blunt at tip, smooth margined, not papery thin; pollen cones pale red.
Notes:
Hybridizes with P. engelmannii and P. sitchensis. Hybrids with P. sitchensis have been called P. x lutzii Little and occur in the Coast Mountains. Hybrids with P. engelmannii occur throughout much of interior BC; pure P. glauca is found mostly N of 56degreeN and in the Chilcotin.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Picea glauca
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, 2013)
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, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
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|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
903 | 0 | 2110 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
13 | 0 | 205 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
289 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 0 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
3446 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
BWBS | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BAFA(26), BWBS(1403), CWH(1), ESSF(107), ICH(105), IDF(99), IMA(1), MS(112), PP(7), SBPS(69), SBS(803), SWB(307) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
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Habitat and Range
Wet to dry slopes, river terraces, bogs and fens in the montane and subalpine zones; common in C and N BC, except on coast; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to N MT and WY.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
Picea glauca var. albertiana (S. Br.) Sarg.
Picea glauca var. densata Bailey
Picea glauca var. porsildii Raup