Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière
Sitka spruce
Pinaceae (Pine family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jim Dickson     (Photo ID #3505)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

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

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

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 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, 2013)

Site Information
 Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max
Elevation (metres)
 143 0 1440
Slope Gradient (%)
 21 0 410

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

 257 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		4 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 2754
Modal BEC Zone Class
 CWH

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

 AT(1), CDF(21), CMA(4), CWH(2580), ESSF(1), ICH(10), MH(94), MS(1), SBS(3)

Habitat and 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 British Columbia

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