White Spruce is a dense, medium sized, narrow, pyramidal conifer with a spire-like crown. It is native to a large area of North America from Labrador to Alaska south to Montana, Minnesota and New York. It is primarily found in forests, rock hills, slopes and on the peripheries of streams and lakes. It typically grows to 40 to 60 feet tall, but may rise to as much as 100 feet. Stiff, spirally-arranged, light green needles (to 3/4 inch long) are four-angled in cross section. Cylindrical, pendent, light brown cones (to 3 inches long) have woody but flexible scales. Bark is gray-brown. The common name and specific epithet both are in reference to the fact that mature needles of this tree become glaucous (acquire a waxy white bloom) with age.
