Virginia Tech Dendrology

Brewer spruce Pinaceae Picea breweriana S. Watson symbol: PIBR
Leaf: Evergreen, four-sided needles, spirally arranged; 1 inch long, with a blunt apex; tend to point forward on the twig; green above with white bloom below. Each needle borne on a raised, woody peg (sterigma).
Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones erect or pendent; female cones green to purple and borne near the top of the tree.
Fruit: Cylindrical cones, 2 to 6 inches long with thin, woody, spirally arranged scales with smooth, rounded tips, reddish brown when mature; cones ripen in one growing season; occur near the top of the tree.
Twig: Pendulous, slender, and whip-like (commonly 4 to 8 feet long); covered with peg-like projections (sterigmata).
Bark: Thin (usually less than 1 inch); reddish brown; long, firmly attached scales.
Form: Moderate sized evergreen tree commonly growing 50 to 80 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet in diameter. Open, sparse crown with long, pendulous branches that give it a weeping appearance.
Looks like: Sitka spruce - Engelmann spruce - Norway spruce

Additional Range Information: Picea breweriana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information