Picea sitchensis

Common Names

Sitka Spruce, Tideland Spruce, Coast Spruce, Menzies' Spruce, Western Spruce, Yellow Spruce, Silver Spruce

Summary

Sitka spruce is a large evergreen conifer native to the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, from Alaska to northern California, with horizontal branches and pendulous branchlets. It can reach up to 70 m (230 ft) tall and up to 5 m in trunk diameter, with four-sided stiff blue-green needles and cones 2–4 inches long; the bark is gray and smooth on young trunks, turning dark purplish-brown with age. It tolerates wind and salt spray and grows best on moist, well-drained, acidic soils in cool maritime climates, occurring in pure stands or mixed with other conifers.

It prefers full sun to partial shade and requires deep watering after planting, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 6–8. Propagation is by seeds (stratified) or cuttings; wood is highly valued for timber and paper and for musical instruments and aircraft components, with particular use in piano soundboards; the species also provides wildlife habitat for birds and small mammals in coastal forests.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

200-329 feet

Spread

32 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6–8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained, acidic soil

Soil Drainage

Deep, moist, well-drained soils.

Soil pH

4.0-5.7

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Blue-green to light yellow-green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Fast growth, 0.3–1.5 m/year

Seasons of Interest

All four seasons.

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds and butterflies/other pollinators