Scientific name: Picea sitchensis
Family: PINACEAE
Common names: “Sitka spruce” “tideland spruce” “coast spruce” “Menzies spruce”
Plant Type: Evergreen conifer tree
Conditions:
Zone: 6-7
Light: Full sun best, cannot grow in shade
Exposure: Exposed or sheltered, tolerant of some salt spray
Soil: Sandy – average, tolerates poor soil
Moisture: Moist-wet
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 60-160′ W 34′
Leaf and Stem shape: Very sharp, stiff somewhat flattened needles surround branches, leaving little pegs when they fall off
Cone: Small reddish brown pollen cones and larger long narrow seed cones with irregularly toothed scales
Pruning: None required
Maintenance: Low – zero
Landscape use: Specimen tree, conservation area, native garden, coastal, bog garden
Propagate: By seed
Pests & Disease: Generally healthy, lower new shoots may get deer pruned
Comments: BC native, State tree of Alaska, edible young shoots are high in vitamin C, young bark was used by first nations as a laxative, the pitch was used as a medicine for skin conditions, peeled, split and dried roots were used to make twined, water-tight hats and baskets
Vancouver Island Grows 