The Sitka Spruce is named after a place called Sitka in Alaska
although its natural range is all along the coast of NW America. It was
introduced to Britain in 1831 and is therefore a non native conifer.
The tree grows with a very straight conical shape trunk. Long downward
flowing branches hang down low from the pointed crown.
Height
It can grow up to 50 m or more with a trunk over 2m in
diameter.
Bark
Is greyish brown which gets curved fissures and flaky plates
as it grows.
Leaves Flowers and Cones
Leaves are green flattened needles
that grow individually. They are stiff, hard and very sharp. The red flowers are
seldom seen as they are found right at the top of the older trees. They
ripen into pale brown, blunt and domed cones. The thin, hard, crinkled scales of
the cones protect the seeds inside.
Where and how does the Sitka Spruce grow?
This conifer naturally grows on the west coast of North America . It
has a very fast growth rate compared to some other trees. This means it
can yield high volumes of timber in a comparatively short time. Foresters have
developed models for growth or yield. The “yield class” figure is the mean cubic
metres growth, for each hectare of tree species for each years growth. Sitka
spruce has a yield class of 14 (14 cubic metres per hectare per year); Oak can
be as low as 4. In terms of time, a Sitka spruce only needs to grow for 40 -60
years to reach its maximum timber potential. An oak can take up to and over 150
years.
The Sitka Spruce has been grown commercially for timber especially in
upland locations. Deep, moist and well drained soils are best for growth
and so it flourishes in the North and West of the country on damper and
elevated sites. Seeds dropped naturally from this conifer grow extremely
well and at enormous rates; this “natural regeneration” is encouraged in
many Forest sites.
Wildlife around the Sitka Spruce
Sitka Spruce can grow close together to make a very dense canopy. It is difficult for sunlight to find it’s way through to the woodland floor so few plants can grow underneath them. Sitka Spruce do, however, give excellent shelter from wind, rain, cold and sometimes the heat of the sun. Larger animals such as deer and foxes like to find cover amongst the branches. Birds of prey, like Goshawks and Sparrowhawks can find excellent nesting and hunting sites on and around the Sitka Spruce.
Smaller birds such as the Crossbill, Tree Creeper, Coal tit and Siskin also enjoy living and feeding around the Sitka Spruce. picture
Timber
The wood from this tree is top quality - it is very versatile and is easy to work with. “Thinnings” (smaller trees taken from plantation) are particularly valuable for paper making as the white colour of the wood and long cellulose fibres make strong but smooth paper
Sitka spruce wood today
Boat and ship construction, pallets, packing boxes, board manufacture and
paper making
Old uses - Used for aircraft frames and gliders.
