A small, slow-growing tree, up to 20 metres tall and 25 centimetres in diameter. It often has a characteristic cluster of branches at the top forming a club or crow's nest.

Leaves

Needles are blue-green, short, stiff, and four-sided. The needles are arranged in all directions along the twig or mostly pointing upwards.

Cones

Seed cones are small and purplish. The old cones hang on the tree for several years. Pollen cones are dark red.

Bark

The bark is thin, scaly and dark greenish-brown.

Where to find Spruce Trees

It grows throughout the northern part of the province.

Habitat

Spruce Trees tolerate poor growing conditions. It often occurs in pure groups of trees or with lodgepole pine and white spruce. It is frequently found in cold, poorly drained areas, such as swamps and bogs, along with sphagnum mosses and horsetails. Lingonberry and Labrador tea are also plentiful.
Spruce Trees forests are rich in wildlife. Moose, muskrat, and mink are numerous and many birds eat the abundant insects in these wet, boggy areas.

Uses

The Carrier people used black spruce wood to make fish traps. Other aboriginal people made snowshoe frames and drying racks. They also used powdered resin on wounds to speed healing.
The long fibres in black spruce make this a preferred pulp species for paper products

Notes

Eastern Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum) most serious disease, resulting in reduced vigor, witches brooms, deformed trees, and death. Needle cast fungus also causes death in small areas. Susceptible to numerous needle rusts and fungi which bring defoliation and reduced vigor. These diseases usually remain at low levels but may become epidemic. Wind breakage arises from butt and heart rots, common in 70-100 year old upland stands and 100-130 year old stands on organic sites.