Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.
Engelmann spruce (Engelmann spruce )
Pinaceae (Pine family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Bryan Kelly-McArthur     (Photo ID #73049)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Picea engelmannii
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Introduction

This evergreen coniferous tree species is found in BC and Alberta south to northern California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Species Information

General:
Tree straight, spire-like, up to 50 m tall; bark brownish-red and loosely scaly, thin; young twigs usually hairy, occasionally glabrous.
Leaves:
Needles sharp, not stiff; twisting somewhat toward upper side of branch; 4-angled; strong odour.
Cones:
Seed cones 4-5 cm long, becoming yellowish-brown at maturity; scales blunt to abruptly sharp-pointed, finely irregular wavy margined, papery thin; pollen cones yellow, 10-15 mm long.
Notes:
Known to hybridize with P. sitchensis (west side of the Coast-Cascade Mountains) and P. glauca (see notes under P. glauca). Pure P. engelmannii is found mainly in the Rocky Mountains.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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.

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Picea engelmannii

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

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1583 7 2750
Slope Gradient (%)
25 0 420

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

280 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
8407
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF

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

AT(59), BAFA(17), BWBS(32), CWH(40), ESSF(6158), ICH(654), IDF(168), IMA(28), MH(14), MS(447), PP(2), SBPS(5), SBS(108), SWB(14)

Habitat and Range

Moist to dry slopes, floodplains, and flats in the montane and subalpine zones; very common in C and S BC, except on coast; E to W AB and S to N CA, AZ and NM.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia