Picea abies
The tall, dark evergreen of the northern forest, and the classic Christmas tree.
A narrow, pointed crown with branches that sweep down and turn up at the tips. The dark green needles grow all around the twig, and the long cones hang down from the branches and fall to the ground whole.
Spruce grows well in the shade of other trees, so in a young mixed forest it often grows up under birches before reaching the top. Its dense branches shelter birds in winter, and red squirrels and crossbills feed on the seeds in its cones.
Spruce wood is light and resonant, which is why it is used for the soundboards of violins, guitars and pianos.
Spruce grows steadily for decades on fertile former farmland and becomes the backbone of the forests we plant.
