1. Woodwatch Profile
Species: Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Characteristics in the Living Environment (Silvics)
Size: 125 – 180 feet in height (up to 300ft.) and 3 – 5 feet in diameter (up to 25ft.) and is the
largest Spruce species.
Lifespan: 700 – 800 years old. Due to rapid growth in favorable conditions, large size may not
indicate exceptional age.
Range: Narrow strip along north Pacific at low elevations with maritime climate and abundant
moisture throughout the year. Its northwest limit is on Kodiak Island, Alaska and its southwest
limit is near Fort Bragg, California. In the southern portion of its range (including Oregon), it
principally grows within 4 miles of the coast, with inland extensions along larger rivers.
Tolerances: Deep, full canopy; ocean spray.
Seed & Reproduction: Sitka Spruce is monecious, with male and female reproductive organs
occurring on the same tree. Female (seed) cones are usually produced at the ends of primary
branches near the tops of trees. Male (pollen) cones are usually produced at the ends of
secondary branches lower in trees. However, both may occur on the same branch. Cone bearing
usually begins between the tree’s 20th
and 40th
year. Like Douglas Fir, the cones hang down from
the branches, but Sitka Spruce cones do not have forked bracts, and the cone scales are paper
thin.
Ecology: Sitka Spruce is a vigorous, fast growing tree usually dominant in the forest canopy, and
often associated with Western Hemlock. The dense Spruce Hemlock stands of the Northwest
Coast have some of the highest growth rates of North America. Best development is on deep,
well aerated soils. Drainage is important, and growth is poor on swampy sites. Mature trees in
tidal swamps will appear much younger than actual age. Commonly occupies alluvial soils along
streams, sandy or coarse textured soils, or soils having a thick accumulation of organic material.
Often occupies a prominent position on exposed headlands and beaches. Often a significant
component of healthy estuaries, with roots stabilizing banks and fallen trees providing hydrology
calming structure and sanctuary for wildlife.
Current Status: In 1989 the volume (International ¼ inch rule) of Sitka Spruce sawtimber on
commercial forest land in Washington, Oregon, and California was measured as 7,848 million
board feet; in Alaska, the volume was 63,493 million board feet. The species remains
widespread, although old growth Sitka Spruce forests are nearly gone. Native pathogens such as
white pine weevil and spruce bud worm not currently a major threat.
Places to visit and see Sitka Spruce in its living environment

2. At Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, a massive Sitka Spruce over 250 years old has branches
growing like giant tentacles from a 50 foot base. Known as the Octopus or Council Tree, its
branches were deliberately shaped by early Tillamook peoples after being chosen to become a
site of ceremonies and elder councils.
Almost any trail along the Oregon coast will pass through Sitka Spruce stands. Near Otis,
Oregon you can hike a steep 4.2 mile out-and-back trail through young and mature (150 plus
year old) Sika Spruce forest to an open coastal headland in a 270 acre United Nations Biosphere
Reserve managed by the Nature Conservancy.
Just south of Seaside, Oregon a 364 acre coastal wetland and flood plain restoration project in
the upper reaches of the Necanicum River estuary system and along Circle Creek has protected
and enhanced one of the largest remaining coastal Spruce swamps on the Oregon Coast.
Thousands of Sitka Spruce trees have been planted by volunteers to restore Spruce swamp
converted to pasture land in the 19th
century. Contact the North Coast Land Conservancy in
Seaside for access.
Did you know?
Sitka Spruce is named for Sitka Island (now known as Baranof Island) in southeast Alaska where
it was first named by Europeans in 1832.
By the time WWI broke out in Europe, Sitka Spruce was recognized as the best of all materials
for aeroplane construction due to its high strength to weight ratio and the fact that the length and
toughness of its fibers meant it would not splinter when hit with a bullet. However, a woods
labor general strike and market manipulations by mill owners meant wartime demand could not
be met. In 1917, to increase production of aircraft-quality Sitka Spruce, the U.S. Army Signal
Corps established a Spruce Production Division of some 30,000 “spruce soldiers” to work
alongside civilian loggers and millwrights. As a result, production rose 5,000 per cent in a little
more than a year, with a total of 143 million board feet harvested (including almost 54 million
board feet from Oregon) in the final year of the war. After the war, logging companies adopted
labor policies and working conditions similar to those of the division and utilized the division
built logging roads and railroads to access large tracts of otherwise inaccessible forest.
The wooden Hughes HK-4 Hercules aircraft, the largest flying boat ever built with the largest
wingspan of any aircraft in history, was nicknamed “the spruce goose”. Currently on display at
the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, the plane is actually made of
laminated panels consisting primarily of birch, with some spruce.
The Trident I submarine-launched ballistic missile, deployed by the U. S. Navy and the British
Royal Navy between 1979 and 2005, had nose cone fairings made of Sitka Spruce. The fairings
shielded the multiple independent reentry vehicle warheads as the missile accelerated up through
the atmosphere.

3. Native Peoples consider the sharp needles of Sitka Spruce to provide special powers of
protection and to guard against evil thoughts. The inner bark and pitch are used as food and
medicine. The boiled roots are used in making tightly woven waterproof baskets and hats.
Remarkable Traits: Sitka Spruce is the 5th
largest and 3rd
tallest conifer species in the world. In
Oregon, Sitka Spruce is highly dependent on the moisture of the coastal fog belt, and was once
known as tideland spruce. It is an impressive, tall, straight tree with an evenly tapering trunk and
a shallow root system with long lateral roots and few branchings. Mature trees often develop
enlarged, swollen, and buttressed bases and open conical crowns. Trunks sometimes develop
large swollen burls, possibly due to early bud damage. Both Sitka Spruce and Hemlock have
adapted to high windthrow mortality with seedlings that have evolved to germinate and thrive on
a substrate of decaying conifer wood or “nurse logs”.
Species Puzzler: What are the two identifying field characteristics that would allow positive
identification, even in the dark? (the stiffest and sharpest needles of any tree in the region that
bristle out on all sides of the branch, and the scaly, jigsaw puzzle bark.)
The values and qualities of its wood
The sapwood of Sitka Spruce is creamy white to light yellow and blends gradually into the
heartwood, which is pinkish yellow to brown. Sapwood in mature trees may be 3 to 6 inches
wide, and wider in young trees. The wood has a fine, uniform texture, generally straight grain, no
distinct taste or odor, and relatively few resin ducts. The annual rings are distinct, with a band of
lighter colored earlywood shading gradually into a narrower band of darker latewood.
Wood from Sitka Spruce is considered moderate in weight, stiffness, hardness, resistance to
shock, shrinkage, bending, and compressive strength. It has a low resistance to decay. However,
Sitka Spruce has the highest strength to weight ratio of any wood. This ratio makes Sitka Spruce
valuable for light aircraft components and oars, planking, masts and spars for boats. Thin panels
of slow growth Sitka Spruce are highly resonant, and are often used as sounding boards for high
quality pianos and faces for fine stringed instruments.
The wood is kiln dried easily and can be worked easily when free of knots. Sharp cutting edges
are required to produce a good planed finish. Glues and finishes well, although it can give
blotchy and inconsistent results when stained due to its closed pore structure. This can be
avoided by the use of sanding sealers. Severe reactions are uncommon, but Sitka Spruce has
been reported as a sensitizer, resulting in skin irritation and or respiratory discomfort.
Sitka Spruce is preferred (along with Hemlock) for paper pulp because of its long strong fibers
and the ease with which it can be processed. Even lower grade Sitka Spruce logs provide high
grade fibers. It is also used to make high grade chemical pulps for rayon and plastics.
Places to visit and see uses of harvested Sitka Spruce

4. The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum, Hood River, Oregon. Many original
and replica aeroplanes from the Golden Age of Aviation (1903-1941) with Sitka Spruce
airframes, including an original 1917 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon. The museum’s general aviation
collection has several replicas of early airplanes with Sitka Spruce airframes, including the
Wright 1903 Flyer.
Information Sources for Sitka Spruce
“Trees to Know in Oregon”, Charles R. Ross. Extension Bulletin 697. Published by Oregon State
University Extension Service and the State Department of Forestry.
“Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast”, Jim Pojar and Andy Mackinnon, editors. Published by
Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, B. C.
“Information on Oregon Wood Species”, Oregon Wood Innovation Center, Oregon State
University: owic.oregonstate.edu/information-oregon-wood-species
“Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.” A.S. Harris. U.S. Forest Service Silvics Manual:
na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/picea/sitchensis.htm
“The Gymnosperm Database”, edited by Christopher J. Earle: conifers.org
“The Wood Database”, edited by Eric Meier: wood-database.com
“The Spruce Production Division”, Gerald Williams. Forest History Today, Spring, 1999:
foresthistory.org/Publications/FHT/FHTSpring1999/fhtspruce.pdf
To find Build Local Alliance members who produce, sell, and work with Sitka Spruce, Go to the
following link and type “sitka spruce” in the search window:
http://www.buildlocalalliance.org/member-products-services/