3 Types Of Native Spruce Trees In California (Pictures & Identification)
California is home to a wide range of trees, including the stately and majestic Spruce Trees. These trees are an essential part of the state’s environment and offer a home for many different species of wildlife.
There are three types of native Spruce Trees in California, with each type having its own distinctive traits and significance. Although you won’t see them very often, they are still an important part of California’s history and culture.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the three types of native California spruce trees, highlighting their unique characteristics and habitats.
Let’s get started.
1. Sitka Spruce
- Scientific Name: Picea sitchensis
- Common Name(s): Sitka Spruce, Coast Spruce
- Mature Height: 40-55ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Papermaking, Lumber, Musical Instruments
The Sitka spruce is the tallest spruce variety in the world. It is a single-stemmed variety that can reach a height of 58 meters (191 feet), and a width of 5.7 meters (18.75 feet). Another fascinating point about Sitka Spruce is its 800 years of lifespan, which is the highest among all the native spruce trees in California state.
Stems are long and cylindrical, with either horizontal or ascending branches; leaves are linear and 12-38 mm in length. The leaves are arranged like a bottlebrush and come out of tiny woody pegs that are attached to the twigs. This gives the twigs a cross-section with four clear angles.
The tree produces oblong, 5-9 cm long cones that are covered in papery, ragged-tipped scales that range in color from light brown to tan. The tree’s bark is thin, ranging in color from grey to silver, and covered in large, flaking scales.
Sitka spruce trees are endemic to the western coast of North America and can be found as far south as Fort Bragg, California.
Whenever possible, it will grow in a twisted, prostrate position near the water. The tree can survive in partial shade, but its thin bark makes it vulnerable to fire.
During World War II, British bombers were constructed out of its wood because they had the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any conifer. Paper, lumber, and even musical instruments can all be made from this wood.
2. Brewer Spruce
- Scientific Name: Picea breweriana
- Common Name(s): Brewer Spruce
- Mature Height: 50-100ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Ornamental
The Brewer Spruce is a single-stemmed tree that can grow to a height of up to 30 meters (100 feet) and a diameter of up to 75 centimeters (30 inches).
Its crown is relatively narrow, but its many drooping branches can sometimes reach the ground. Because of its sagging form, this spruce goes by another name: the weeping spruce. It has linear, flat, 20-30 mm long leaves with rounded tips and a white stomatal bloom on the underside.
Cones range in length from 7.5 to 15 centimeters and are cylindrical, pendant, and leathery. The bark is papery and a dull reddish brown color; its long, narrow, exfoliating scales give the impression that it is covered in cornflakes. Long, slender, and drooping, the twigs are also covered in fine hairs.
The Brewer Spruce is widespread across the Klamath Mountains of California and Oregon, where it lives in subalpine and montane coniferous forests.
It likes cool, wet places that get a lot of snow in the winter. Because of this, it is most often found on the upper slopes of high ridges and in hollows at the heads of small watersheds that face north.
Though it can survive in the shade, it is easily destroyed by fire and can be uprooted or blown over by high winds. Since it doesn’t have much commercial value, it is mostly grown as an ornamental tree in the state.
3. Engelmann Spruce
- Scientific Name: Picea engelmannii
- Common Name(s): Engelmann Spruce
- Mature Height: 30-60ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Lumber, Pulp, Aircraft Parts, Musical Instruments, etc.
The Engelmann spruce is one of the tallest and largest trees in the mountainous and subalpine parts of California. It is typically 30 m to 36 m tall, and 45 cm to 75 cm in diameter, with the largest growth in Payette Lake, Idaho at 55 m tall and 2.3 m in diameter.
The linear and sharply pointed leaves of the Engelmann spruce are easily recognizable. When broken up, they release an unpleasant stench.
The bark is thin and ranges in color from purple to rusty brown, with scales that are only loosely attached. Engelmann spruce trees are endemic to California, but their habitat and distribution are limited to just two locations: along Clark Creek in Shasta County and near Russian Peak in Siskiyou County, at altitudes of 1000 m to 2000 m.
The only places outside of California where the Engelmann spruce grows are the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. The wood can be used to make furniture, paper, airplanes, and even percussion instruments!
Additionally, it can survive in a wide range of shade conditions and has very thin bark, making it vulnerable to being burned to the ground. In the northern Rocky Mountains, it can also interbreed with white spruce.
Native Spruce Trees In California – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about native spruce trees in California that have been compiled from various online gardening discussion forums.
Do spruce trees grow in California?
Even though spruce trees are known to thrive in cool regions, California has its fair share of them. The state has three native spruce trees: Sitka spruce, Brewer spruce, and Engelmann spruce. These trees are not found throughout the state, but they are still very much present.
Can blue spruce grow in California?
Blue spruce can grow in California with proper irrigation, but it may not thrive due to the high temperatures in the state. However, the Mountain Coast and its surroundings are the only places in California where blue spruce can thrive.
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Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- California Forests, University Of California
- California Native Plant Society
- Native Plants, California Department Of Fish & Wildlife
- California Natural Diversity Database
