black spruce Pinaceae Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb. symbol: PIMA Leaf: Evergreen, four-sided needles, stiff, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, light blue-green in color, somewhat blunt pointed tips, light blue-green to gray. Flower: Species is monoecious; males red, turning yellow to light brown; females purple, upright, and in the upper crowns. Fruit: Ovoid cones are the smallest of the spruces, 1 inch long, scale margins are rounded and finely erose; maturing in late summer with seeds disseminating in early fall. Twig: Slender, brown and pubescent; needles are borne on woody pegs; buds are small, gray-brown with loose scales. Bark: Thin, gray-brown or red-brown in color, broken into irregular, close scales. Form: Small to medium sized trees up to 70 feet tall with a very narrow conical or spire-like crown and a poorly pruned trunk. Looks like: white spruce - red spruce - Sitka spruce - blue spruce Additional Range Information: Picea mariana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting black spruce. External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics Landowner Factsheet USDA Plants Database