Black spruce Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Black spruce

Stand of black spruce near Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Picea
Species:	mariana

The black spruce (Picea mariana) is a type of spruce tree found in North America. It belongs to the pine family. This tree grows all across Canada, in every province and territory. It is the official tree of Newfoundland and Labrador and is the most common tree there. You can also find black spruce in parts of the United States, like Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and the upper Northeast. It is a common tree in the taiga or boreal forest, which is a large forest area with cold winters.

The scientific name mariana means "of the Virgin Mary."

What Does It Look Like?
Where Does It Grow?
Growing Black Spruce
Uses and Symbolism
Images for kids
See also

What Does It Look Like?

Needles and cones

The black spruce is a tree that grows slowly. It is usually small and stays green all year round (an evergreen coniferous tree). It has a straight trunk that doesn't get much wider from bottom to top. Its branches are short and droop down, but their tips turn upwards.

Most black spruce trees are about 5 to 15 meters (16 to 49 feet) tall. Their trunks are usually 15 to 50 centimeters (6 to 20 inches) wide. Some can grow taller, up to 30 meters (98 feet) tall, with trunks 60 centimeters (24 inches) wide. The bark is thin, flaky, and grayish-brown.

The leaves are like needles, about 6 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long. They are stiff and have four sides. The top of the needles is dark bluish-green, and the bottom is a lighter, dull green.

The cones are the smallest of all spruce trees. They are 1.5 to 4 centimeters (0.6 to 1.6 inches) long and 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. They are shaped like spindles or are almost round. They start dark purple and turn reddish-brown when they are ripe. These cones grow in tight groups at the top of the tree. They open when they are mature but stay on the tree for several years.

Black spruce trees can sometimes naturally mix with other spruce types, like the red spruce (P. rubens) and, very rarely, the white spruce (P. glauca).

You can tell black spruce apart from white spruce because its young branch tips have tiny hairs. Its bark is often a darker reddish-brown, and its needles are shorter. Its cones are smaller and rounder. Black spruce also prefers wetter, low-lying areas.

Where Does It Grow?

Black spruce taiga, Copper River, Alaska

How fast a black spruce grows depends on where it is. In wet, spongy areas like swamps and muskegs (a type of bog), it grows slower towards the center of these wet spots. Its roots are shallow and spread out wide. This means the trees can easily be blown over by strong winds. In northern areas, you might see black spruce trees with fewer leaves on the side facing the wind, because ice has pruned them. Trees that are tilted, sometimes called "drunken trees," can be a sign that the ground they are growing on, called permafrost, is thawing.

In the southern parts of its range, black spruce mainly grows in wet, organic soils. But further north, it grows more often on higher, drier ground. In the Great Lakes region, it is most common in peat bogs and swamps.

Most black spruce forests have trees that are all about the same age. This is because fires happen often in these forests. Black spruce often grows by itself in wet, organic soils. It can also grow with other trees in mineral soils. It can live in soils that don't have many nutrients and is often found in wet, acidic peatlands (wetlands with lots of decaying plant matter).

Black spruce is considered a "climax species" in many areas. This means it's a tree that would dominate a forest if there were no disturbances like fires. However, fires usually happen every 50 to 150 years in black spruce forests.

Fires are a natural part of the black spruce forest. After a fire, new plants grow. Trees like paper birch and quaking aspen often grow first in burned areas. Black spruce seeds usually start growing quickly after a fire. If there are no more fires, the black spruce will eventually take over from the other trees.

Black spruce is also a "pioneer" species. This means it is one of the first trees to grow in new areas, like the spongy moss mats that form in old lake beds. It often outcompetes another tree called tamarack in these wet areas.

A moth larva called the spruce budworm can eat the needles of spruce trees. If this happens for several years in a row, it can kill the trees. However, black spruce is less likely to be harmed by the spruce budworm than white spruce or balsam fir. Trees that grow mixed with balsam fir and white spruce are most at risk.

Growing Black Spruce

People have chosen different types of black spruce to grow in parks and gardens. One type, called P. mariana 'Nana', is a dwarf form. It has won an award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Uses and Symbolism

The black spruce is the official provincial tree of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The wood from black spruce trees is not very valuable for building because the trees are small. However, it is a very important source of pulpwood, which is wood used to make paper. It is the main source of pulpwood in Canada. Fast-food chopsticks are often made from black spruce.

This wood is also being used more and more to make cross laminated timber. This is a strong building material made by gluing layers of wood together. The black spruce wood is very strong because its growth rings are close together.

Along with red spruce, black spruce has also been used to make spruce gum and spruce beer.