Picea glauca When Jacques Cartier sailed up the broad St. Lawrence River in 1535, he became the first colonist to see North America’s white spruces. As he laid claim to the land, he proclaimed the trees to be “as beautiful as one could wish for.” According to Cartier, the white spruces were “the finest trees in the world.” Four hundred years later, naturalist Donald Peattie echoed Cartier’s remarks, stating of the conifers lining the river banks, the white spruce was…
Picea abies Norway spruce is a familiar sight in much of the United States, but it is really a tree of Europe. There, it is the tallest tree on the continent, with one in…
A windbreak is a practical and inexpensive way to shielding heavy winds from your home, but windbreaks have additional benefits unrelated to wind. Planting trees along the outer edge of your yard or property…
Picea pungens It was not until 1862 that this species was discovered growing in enchanted meadows and stream sides high up in the Rocky Mountains. Once found, the fame of this blue spruce spread…
Picea abies The English resisted calling the Norway spruce by its name, instead referring to it as the “common spruce.” The Finnish claimed it as their own, calling it the Finn spruce, while others,…