Where is the black spruce in Alberta?

Black spruce is a long-lived tree most commonly found in poorly drained muskeg areas in the boreal forest and foothills.

1. Where can you find black spruce?
2. Is black spruce native to Alberta?
3. Where is the white spruce found in Alberta?
4. Where is the spruce tree located?
5. Is a black spruce the same as a Black Hills Spruce?
6. How do I identify a black spruce tree?
7. What is a black spruce used for?
8. What is the difference between black and white spruce?
9. How long do black spruce trees live?
10. Is spruce in the pine family?
11. What is the difference between white spruce and blue spruce?
12. Where can white spruce trees be found?
13. What is a Black Hills spruce tree?
14. How can you tell if a tree is spruce?
15. Is spruce and pine the same?

Where can you find black spruce?

Black spruce is native to northern North America, from Newfoundland to Alaska, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and central British Columbia. In its more southern range it is found growing around bogs and swamps.

Is black spruce native to Alberta?

Black spruce trees occur across the boreal region of North America, ranging from Newfoundland and Labrador, to New Jersey, to inland Alaska. More than 80 per cent of its global range is in Canada.

Where is the white spruce found in Alberta?

A substantial outlier forest of white spruce occurs in the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta. At higher elevations (1200 – 1800 m) in the foothills, white spruce hybridizes with Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.)

Where is the spruce tree located?

Spruce refers to trees of the genus Picea. They're found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of North America. Spruces can be distinguished from firs by their down-hanging cones. Fir cones stand upward and on top of branches.

Is a black spruce the same as a Black Hills Spruce?

Not to be confused with Black Hills spruce, a variety of white spruce, black spruce (Picea mariana) is a separate species and one that is more tolerant of wet soils than other spruces.

How do I identify a black spruce tree?

Keys to identifying the Black Spruce include its needles, cones, growth habit, and habitat. Like Red Spruce and Balsam Fir, Black Spruce needles are short – about half an inch long – in contrast to the Eastern White Pine, whose needles are generally three to five inches long.

What is a black spruce used for?

Black Spruce Essential Oil is antiseptic and expectorant and therefore is ideally used for many respiratory issues. It is an ideal remedy for many lung ailments such as asthma and bronchitis especially when used in an inhalation blend.

What is the difference between black and white spruce?

White spruce needles are longer than 1/2 inch and sharp. Black spruce needles are typically shorter and blunter; white spruce twigs lack the hair that characterize black spruce. A black spruce can be identified by its shorter, blunter needles.

How long do black spruce trees live?

LIFE CYCLE. The slack spruce can live for up to 250 years. Their cones that appear in clusters are recorded to stay on the tree for 20 to 30 years at a time. The lower branches of the tree also take root in the ground creating patches of smaller trees surrounding the main tree.

Is spruce in the pine family?

Spruce trees and shrubs are classified in the genus Picea, which includes 35 species. It's considered part of the Pinaceae family, along with pines, firs, cedars, hemlocks, larches, and a few other species. ... The narrow, conical growth pattern of many spruce trees makes them excellent choices for landscape use.

What is the difference between white spruce and blue spruce?

White spruce trees achieve a height of up to 140 feet with a diameter of nearly 3 feet or more. They can be efficiently grown in drained and acidic soils and usually survive for nearly 250 to 350 years. The blue-green needles are nearly two centimeters long with a whitish powdery and waxy layer.

Where can white spruce trees be found?

The white spruce tree has one of the largest ranges of any conifer and is one of the most northerly trees in North America. It can be found from Newfoundland to Alaska, and down to the northern United States throughout the boreal forest, bogs and up- lands.

What is a Black Hills spruce tree?

A large evergreen tree with a central trunk and dense, ascending, lateral branches from the ground up that form a broad pyramidal to conical crown. It varies from the typical white spruce in its denser, more compact habit and slower growth rate. It has a shallow, fiberous, wide spreading root system.

How can you tell if a tree is spruce?

Spruce trees have individual needles that are stiff and pointy with sharp edges. The needles easily roll between your finger tips. Spruce needles are spiny and sharp (think SSS). Cones hang down from the branches.

Is spruce and pine the same?

This is an easy tip to remember: on pine trees, needles are attached and attached to the branches in clusters; on spruce trees, needles are attached individually. A longleaf pine – which you can tell is a pine because its needles are attached in bundles. ... A mature picea pungens “blue spruce” cone.