34 



Common Trees 



WHITE SPRUCE 



Picea canadensis, (Mill.) BSP 



THE White Spruce, also called Cat Spruce, is a vigorous 

 and handsome tree of the Northwoods. It is distrib- 

 uted widely, has a rather broad pyramidal crown, and reaches 

 a height of 50 to 60 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet. 



The leaves are awl-shaped, 4-sided, bluish-green needles, 

 about % of 

 an inch long. 

 They persist 

 f or s e v e r a 1 

 years and are 

 ill- scented 

 when bruised. 



The fruit 

 is a slender, 

 oblong, cyl- 

 indrical, 

 s t a Ik le ss 

 cone from 1 

 to 2 inches 

 long. 



The bark on old trunks is thin and light grayish-brown. 

 It separates in thin scales. The twigs are grayish-green to 

 orange-brown. The buds are light brown, broadly ovate, 

 blunt-pointed, about l /% to }4 of an inch long. 



The wood is soft, weak, straight-grained and light yellow. 

 It weighs about 32 pounds per cubic foot when dry, and is 

 used chiefly for pulpwood. 



The White Spruce is a transcontinental tree. It is found 

 from Labrador and Newfoundland to Alaska, and south 

 through New England to New York, Michigan, Minnesota, 

 and northern Montana. In New York this tree is common 

 in moist woods in the northern counties. Locally it is abun- 

 dant. It is common in most sections of the Adirondacks, 

 found southward to Washington county, but not reported 

 from Catskill region. Low damp woods, banks of streams 

 and borders of lakes are its favorite home. It grows best 

 where the winters are cold. Under favorable growing condi- 

 tions it makes a good growth and develops an attractive form. 

 It is used locally in large quantities as a Christmas tree. 



WHITE SPRUCE 

 One-half natural size. 



