Red Spruce

Scientific Name: Picea rubens Sarg.


Classification: Plantae/ Tracheobionta / Spermatophyta / Coniferophyta / Pinopsida / / Pinales / Pinaceae / Picea A. Dietr./ Picea rubens Sarg.

Red Spruce
General Information
Usda SymbolPIRU
GroupGymnosperm
Life CyclePerennial
Growth HabitsTree
Native LocationsPIRU

Plant Guide

Use a soil moisture meter to monitor the soil moisture where Red Spruce is planted.

Fact Sheet

Uses

Red spruce is one of the most important forest trees in the northeast. The wood is light, soft, narrow-ringed and faintly tinged with red. It is the most common species of eastern spruce lumber. Because of its resonance, it is especially adapted to sounding boards in musical instruments. It makes up a large percentage of spruce pulpwood produced in the northeast. It is used as a Christmas tree also. Red spruce provides food and cover for various mammals and birds. The spruce grouse feeds on the buds and foliage; red squirrels eat buds and seeds; varying hare browse twigs and foliage; porcupines feed upon the bark. Red spruce seeds make up 25 to 50 percent of the diet of white-winged crossbills. Red spruce can be an important cover tree in northern New England deer yards.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

Red spruce reaches heights of 60 to 80 feet with trunk diameters of nearly two feet. Larger sizes are attained in the southern Appalachians. Needles are four sided, dark, shiny, yellow-green, and about 1/2 inch long, growing singly from all sides of the twigs and branches. The slender new twigs have a reddish coat of down through the first year. This, together with the short incurved needles, help distinguish red spruce from most other spruces. There are about 139,000 seeds per pound.

Adaptation and Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

In northern New England it is found mainly on shallow till soils that average about 18 inches deep to a compact layer. At higher elevations it often grows in organic soils overlying rocks. On poorly drained soils, lack of aeration limits its growth. In the northern part of its range, red spruce grows at elevations from near sea level to about 4,500 feet. In the southern Appalachians it is limited to slopes and mountain tops above 3,500 feet in West Virginia and above 4,500 feet in Tennessee and North Carolina. Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS 1995 Northeast Wetland Flora @ USDA NRCS PLANTS Unfortunately, red spruce is showing damage from air pollution throughout its range, particularly at the higher elevations. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

Good seed production of red spruce usually begins after the tree is 30 years old, Heavy seed crops occur every three to eight years, Spruce seedlings have exceptionally slow growing, fibrous, shallow roots, Consequently, a critical survival factor in natural establishment is the depth of the organic layers on which the seed germinates, If the thickness of the layer exceeds two inches, the roots of spruce seedlings may not reach mineral soil and the moisture needed to carry them through dry periods, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Red Spruce., Red spruce is very shade tolerant, but requires nearly full sun light for optimum development, Red spruce can be established in nurseries as easily as any of the other spruces, It is used some for reforestation in the northeast,

Management

Red spruce has not generally received intensive management in the northeast. It can be harvested by partial cutting or clear cutting depending upon local markets and silvicultural conditions. Weeding and releasing, if needed, should be done at an early age, 10 to 15 years.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Temperature, Minimum (°F)-47
Adapted to Coarse Textured SoilsYes
Adapted to Fine Textured SoilsYes
Adapted to Medium Textured SoilsYes
Anaerobic ToleranceLow
CaCO3 ToleranceLow
Cold Stratification RequiredNo
Drought ToleranceMedium
Fertility RequirementMedium
Fire ToleranceNone
Frost Free Days, Minimum90
Hedge ToleranceNone
Moisture UseMedium
pH, Maximum5.8
pH, Minimum4.0
Planting Density per Acre, Maxim700
Planting Density per Acre, Minim300
Precipitation, Maximum52
Precipitation, Minimum28
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)13
Salinity ToleranceNone
Shade ToleranceTolerant


Morphology/Physiology

BloatNone
ToxicityNone
Resprout AbilityNo
Shape and OrientationConical
Active Growth PeriodSpring and Summer
C:N RatioHigh
Coppice PotentialNo
Fall ConspicuousNo
Fire ResistantNo
Flower ColorYellow
Flower ConspicuousNo
Foliage ColorGreen
Foliage Porosity SummerDense
Foliage Porosity WinterDense
Foliage TextureMedium
Fruit/Seed ConspicuousNo
Nitrogen FixationNone
Low Growing GrassNo
LifespanLong
Leaf RetentionYes
Known AllelopathNo
Height, Mature (feet)110.0
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (fee25
Growth RateModerate
Growth FormSingle Stem
Fruit/Seed ColorBrown


Reproduction

Vegetative Spread RateNone
Small GrainNo
Seedling VigorMedium
Seed Spread RateSlow
Fruit/Seed Period EndFall
Seed per Pound140000
Propagated by TubersNo
Propagated by SprigsNo
Propagated by SodNo
Propagated by SeedYes
Propagated by CormNo
Propagated by ContainerYes
Propagated by BulbNo
Propagated by Bare RootYes
Fruit/Seed PersistenceYes
Fruit/Seed Period BeginSummer
Fruit/Seed AbundanceMedium
Commercial AvailabilityRoutinely Available
Bloom PeriodMid Spring
Propagated by CuttingsYes


Suitability/Use

Veneer ProductYes
Pulpwood ProductYes
Post ProductYes
Palatable HumanNo
Palatable Browse AnimalLow
Nursery Stock ProductNo
Naval Store ProductYes
Lumber ProductYes
Fuelwood ProductMedium
Fodder ProductNo
Christmas Tree ProductNo
Berry/Nut/Seed ProductNo

Red Spruce

Red Spruce

Red Spruce

Red Spruce

Red Spruce

Red Spruce

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