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Picea glauca

Common name:	White Spruce	Family:	Pinaceae
Author:	(Moench.)Voss.	Botanical references:	11, 43, 200
Synonyms:	Picea alba (Link.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Northern N. America - Alaska to Newfoundland.
Habitat:	Woods in good soils[43]. Along streams and lakes and also on rocky hills and slopes, succeeding in a variety of soil conditions[229].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Abies canadensis[G] P. canadensis[B,G,P] P. glauca f. aurea[G] P. glauca var. albertiana[B,P] P. glauca var. conica[G] P. glauca var. densata[B,P] P. glauca var. porsildii[B,P] Pinus glauca[G] Pinus laxa[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Dwarf Alberta Spruce [H], White Spruce [DEN1,L,P,B,FEIS],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	glauca = glaucous
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Pine family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 15m by 5m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen in September. The scented flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It cannot tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

Condiment Flowers Gum Inner bark Seed Seedpod Tea.

Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[172].
Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[172]. The cones are about 5cm long[82].
Inner bark - raw or cooked[257]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[172]. Usually harvested in the spring[257], it is an emergency food that is only used when all else fails.
Seed - raw[172]. The seed is about 2 - 4mm long[229] and is too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[172].
A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[172].
The trunk yields a gum, used for chewing[183, 257].
Spruce oil, distilled from the leaves and twigs, is used in the food industry to flavour chewing gum, ice cream, soft drinks and sweets[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiseptic Digestive Diuretic Laxative Pectoral Poultice Salve Skin TB.

White spruce was widely employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes, who valued it especially for treating chest complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism.
An infusion of the cones has been used in the treatment of urinary troubles[257].
The inner bark is pectoral[257]. It has been chewed, and an infusion drunk, in the treatment of TB, influenza, coughs and colds[257]. An infusion is also drunk in the treatment of rheumatism[257]. The inner bark has also been used as a poultice on sores and infected areas, and has also been used to bandage cuts[257].
The tea made from the young shoot tips has antiseptic properties[226]. It is used in the treatment of respiratory infections[257]. A decoction of the stems is used as a herbal steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism[257].
The gum is antiseptic, digestive, laxative, pectoral and salve[257]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of respiratory complaints[257]. The gum obtained from the trunk (probably pitch[K]) has been used as a salve on sores and cuts[257]. A poultice of the gum mixed with oil has been used to treat skin rashes, scabies, persistent scabs, growing boils etc, and has also been used on wounds where there is blood poisoning[257].
The rotten, dried, finely powdered wood has been used as a baby powder and as a treatment for skin rashes[257].

Other Uses

Baby care Dye Musical Pitch Repellent Shelterbelt String Tannin Waterproofing Wood.

A fairly wind resistant tree, it can be grown as part of a shelterbelt planting[200]. The cultivar 'Denstat' has been recommended[200].
The leaves have been burnt to repel insects[257].
Various native North American Indian tribes made a string from the long roots of this species and used it to stitch the bark of their canoes and to make baskets etc[226, 257].
The rotten, dried, finely powdered wood has been used as a baby powder and as a treatment for skin rashes[257].
The bark is a source of tannin[226].
A yellow-brown dye can be obtained from the rotten wood[257].
The pitch obtained from the trunk can be used as a waterproofing sealant in canoes[257].
Wood - straight-grained, resilient, light, soft, not strong. Used for construction and as a source of pulp for paper making[46, 61, 171, 229]. The resonance of the wood, and its capacity to transmit vibrations, make it an ideal wood for guitars, violins, piano soundboards etc[226].

Cultivation details

Likes abundant moisture at the roots, if grown in drier areas it must be given a deep moist soil[11]. Tolerates poor peaty soils[200]. Succeeds in wet cold and shallow soils but is not very wind-firm in shallow soils[1]. Prefers a pH between 4 to 6[200]. Dislikes shade[200]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[11]. Resists wind exposure to some degree[200].
A fast growing tree, especially when young with annual increases of up to 1 metre in height[185]. New growth takes place from April to July. Growth slows considerably as the trees grow older[185]. It is an important forestry tree in N. America and is also planted for timber in N. Europe. It is sometimes used as a 'Christmas tree', but is unsuited for this because its leaves quickly fall[226].
Seed production begins at approximately 20 years, though reliable crops make take twice that long[229]. Heavy crops are produced every 2 - 5 years[229].
Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[200].
In some upland areas, especially over granitic or other base-poor soils, growth rate and health have been seriously affected by aluminium poisoning induced by acid rain[200].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[200]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[200].
There are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200].
The crushed leaves are quite aromatic. Some people find the smell distasteful saying that it is like skunks[226], whilst others say it has a pleasant smell like blackcurrants or mouldy grapefruit[185].

Propagation

Seed - stratification will probably improve germination so sow fresh seed in the autumn in a cold frame if possible[80]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[78]. A position in light shade is probably best[78]. Seed should not be allowed to dry out and should be stored in a cool place[80]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year, or be placed in an outdoor nursery bed for a year or so to increase in size. They might need protection from spring frosts.
Cuttings of semi-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 8cm long, August in a frame. Protect from frost. Forms roots in the spring[78].
Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, September/October in a cold frame. Takes 12 months[78].
Cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, early summer in a frame. Slow but sure.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The crushed leaves are quite aromatic. Some people find the smell distasteful saying that it is like skunks, whilst others say it has a pleasant smell like blackcurrants or mouldy grapefruit.

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[L] Scientific and Common Names (some photos) from Lepidoptera and some other life forms
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for the family Pinaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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