white spruce Pinaceae Picea glauca

Leaf:Evergreen needles, stiff, 1/3 to 3/4 inch long, square in cross section, needle tips are pointed but not sharp, when crushed a pungent odor is apparent (some say similar to cat urine), green to gray-green. Each needle borne on a raised, woody peg (sterigma).
Flower:Species is monoecious; males emerge reddish but turn yellow when shedding pollen; females purple.
Fruit:Cones are 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, cigar shaped, light brown in color, scales are rounded with entire margins, mature in late summer.
Twig:Slender, light brown or pale, sometimes glaucous, hairless. Needles borne on woody pegs.
Bark:Thin, gray-brown in color, smooth, later flaky or scaly.
Form:Conical, medium sized trees reaching up to 90 feet tall.

leaf flower fruit twig bark form map

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