Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Prestigious Plants - Gymnosperms - Conifers 06 - Spruce

Plant Indices

SPRUCE (Picea)
Family: Pinaceae

Picea abies, the Norway Spruce.
From [Defunct], originally uploaded by MPF.

Names: 

  • Spruce
  • Abete Rosso [Italian]
  • Abeto [Spanish]
  • Aghatis [Greek]
  • Épicéa [French]
  • Ezo Matsu [Japanese]
  • Fichte [German]
  • Gran [Danish/Norwegian/Swedish]
  • Granas [Lithuanian]
  • Granen [Danish]
  • Grano [Latvian]
  • Granträd [Swedish]
  • Guto-no-ki [Japanese]
  • Julgran [Swedish]
  • Kuusi [Finnish]
  • Kuusk [Estonian]
  • Ogurayama [Japanese]
  • Picea [Romanian]
  • Pruce [Polish]
  • Schoimchia [Lingua Ignota]
  • Smrek [Czech/Slovak]
  • Smreka [Croatian/Slovenian]
  • Smrk [Czech]
  • Świerk [Polish]
  • To-domatsu [Japanese]
  • Yel' [Russian]
  • Yezo Matsu [Japanese]

Distribution: Northern hemisphere.
Biome: Temperate and boreal regions (taiga).

Physical Description
Spruce is a genus of large evergreen trees between 20-60m (60-200ft) in height. Needles are quadrangled (four-sided) and attached singly to small, peg-like structures.

Spruce wood (often called “whitewood”) is used in general construction work, the building of crates, and even specialized use in wooden airplanes. It has no insect or rot resistance, so it is preferred for indoor applications, as left to the elements, it rots within 12-18 months.

Spruce bark is highly resinous.

Symbolism

Victorian Flower Language
Greenaway identifies spruce with the message “hope in adversity.”

Culture

Etymology
The name was brought to England either from Prussian merchants or through the Old French Pruce (which also means "Prussia"). In either case, it refers to luxury goods coming from northern Germany.

Pitch
Spruce resin was employed in the production of pitch/tar.

Pulpwood
It is one of the most important woods for the making of paper. Its long, thin fibers make strong paper and are well-suited to bleaching.

Tonewood
Employed as the soundboard material of many musical instruments: guitars, mandolins, cellos, violins, pianos, and harps.

Food 
Fresh spruce shoots are rich in vitamin C and useful in emergencies as they readily boil into tea. They can also be made into spruce beer, which Captain Cook employed on his voyages to prevent scurvy in his crew.

Young spruce buds are employed as a spice in Finland.

A Red Spruce tonewood used for violin tops.
From Old World Tonewood Co.

Compiler Notes

  • If writing in the context of an English-based medieval culture, an alliterative simile of “(X) as spruce” might be employed to connote something luxurious regarding high-quality continental goods.
  • Large quantities of spruce would do well for developing paper mills in any fantasy setting, even if printing may have developed elsewhere. A region heavy in spruce would make itself a publishing powerhouse by easily accessing the highest quality pulpwood.
  • Spruce’s “whitewood” is notably not rot-resistant. Its name and weakness to corruption suggests fragile purity. This also implies that spruce wood is readily impressionable. If used for tonewood, the instrument may be easily constructed with magical properties by this impressionability, or even readily absorb the properties of magical song if repeatedly employed in and set aside for such operations.
  • Continuing from the above, the spruce may be more susceptible to absorbing and twisting from magical pollution and miasma, or to absorbing that which is deliberately set out for the tree. A magician might consistently feed the roots of spruce various reagents to “color” the whitewood as he desires.
  • The same could be employed in the production of pulpwood.
  • If a magician dies before being able to collect on his magical spruce investment, the tree might become a supernatural menace to the wood or nearby communities.
  • The intention might not be to produce magical wood but magical tar from the bark resin. What might the properties of a magical pine-pitch be?
  • Tonewood from spruce fed on human bodies might be useful for instruments that call the dead (necromancy).
  • As the name schoimchia comes from the devotional language of Lingua Ignota, this nomenclature's designation of the spruce frames it in a devotional context. This would cement the positive interpretation of “hope in adversity.”

Image Refs

[Img 01 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_abies.jpg ]

[Img 02 - https://www.oldworldtonewood.com/product/torrefied-violin-red-spruce-top/ ]

Picea abies, by Keila-Paldiski railway, Estonia.
Own work--Ivar Leidus.

Names:

  • European Spruce
  • Almindelig Gran [Danish]
  • Common Spruce
  • Epicéa Commun [French]
  • Euroopan Kuusi [Finnish]
  • Európai Lucfenyő [Hungarian]
  • Europäische Fichte [German]
  • Europeisk Gran [Norwegian]
  • Ezo Matsu [Japanese]
  • Fichte [German]
  • Gran [Norwegian/Swedish]
  • Granen [Danish]
  • Granträd [Swedish]
  • Harilik Kuusk [Estonian]
  • Joulukuusi [Finnish]
  • Julegran [Danish]
  • Julgran [Swedish]
  • Kuusi [Finnish]
  • Metsäkuusi [Finnish]
  • Norway Spruce
  • Običajni Smrek [Slovenian]
  • Obyknovennaya Yel [Russian]
  • Peccio [Italian]
  • Pezzo [Italian]
  • Pihtakuusi [Finnish]
  • Rødgran [Danish]
  • Rottanne [German]
  • Smrek Obyčajný [Slovak]
  • Smrek Ztepilý [Czech]
  • Smreka [Slovene]
  • Spruce
  • Świerk Pospolity [Polish]

Distribution: 

  • Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland
  • Europe, Eastern: Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine
  • Europe, Northern: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden
  • Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Central European Russia, East European Russia, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia)

Physical Description
The Norway spruce is a large, fast-growing evergreen tree between 35-55m (115-180ft) tall, with a trunk of 1-1.5m in diameter. It grows quickly, up to 1m/y in the first 25 years. The tallest measured Norway spruce was over 62m (204ft) tall in Slovenia.

The Norway spruce has the longest seed cones of the genus, growing 9-17cm (3.5-6.7in) long, green or reddish in color.

“Old Tjikko,” a Norway spruce in Sweden, is a clonal tree believed to be 9,550 years old, making it the 4th oldest known clonal tree.

Young female cone, Keila, Northwestern Estonia.
Own work--Ivar Leidus.

Medical
We are not a medical website; do not take health advice from us.

Norway spruce shoot tips, in syrup or tea, were used in traditional Austrian medicine. It was consumed in tea, taken as steam inhalation, and applied externally in baths, ointments, etc., for the following:

  • Skin issues
  • Respiratory issues
  • Locomotor issues
  • GI issues
  • Infections

Old Tjikko, Fulufjäll, Sweden.
Own work--Karl Brodowsky.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for names, distribution, and medicinal properties.

Image Refs

[Img 03 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kuusk_Keila-Paldiski_rdt_%C3%A4%C3%A4res.jpg ]

[Img 04 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_abies_young_female_cone_-_Keila.jpg ]

[Img 05 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old-Tjikko-2011-07-19-001.jpg ]

Picea schrenkiana forest near Kaindy lake in Southeast Kazakhstan.
From Jonas Satkauskas.

Names:

  • Asian Spruce
  • Asiatische Fichte [German]
  • Central Asian Spruce
  • Épicea de Schrenk [French]
  • Küykerli Şırşa [Kazakh]
  • Schrenk's Spruce
  • Schrenkfichte [German]
  • Schrenkovskaya Yel [Russian]
  • Schrenks Gran [Swedish]
  • Shi Song [Chinese]
  • Shilengke Yun Shan [Chinese]
  • Shrenka Shyrshasy [Kazakh]
  • Tian Shan Spruce
  • Tian Shan Yun [Chinese]
  • Xī Lián Yún Shān [Chinese]

Distribution: 

  • Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
  • Asia, East: China (Xinjiang)

Biome: Alpine Forest

Physical Description
Asian spruce is a large evergreen tree reaching 40-50m (130-160ft) tall, occasionally up to 60m (200ft), with a trunk between 1-2m (3.2-6.5ft). Grows at elevations of 1,200-3,500m (3,900-11,500ft), typically in pure forests.

Its crown is conical, with level branches and level or pendulous branchlets. 

Its cones are 6-12cm (2.4-4.7in) and 2cm (0.8in) wide. They are purple in youth and dark brown in maturity.

It grows more slowly than the Norway spruce, so its timber or paper tree value is low outside its native range.


Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 06 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG_9369-Kaindy.jpg ]

Picea asperata, Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan, China.
From matsuyuki on Flickr.

Names:

  • Dragon Spruce
  • Chinese Dragon Spruce
  • Ezomatsu [Japanese]
  • Feuilles Rugueuses [French]
  • Lao-long-shan [Chinese]
  • Mao Yun Shan [Chinese]
  • Rauhfichte [German]
  • Rough Spruce
  • Ryūshin [Japanese]
  • Yun Shan [Chinese]

Distribution:

  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai)

Physical Description
Dragon spruce is a medium-sized evergreen tree that grows 25-40m (82-131ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of 1.5m.

Dragon Spruce cone.
From Luke Sato on Flickr.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 07 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jiuzhaigou2.jpg ]

[Img 08 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/164174675@N05/41288838014/ ]

Picea koraiensis, no listed photographer.
From Alchetron.

Names:

  • Korean Spruce
  • Chao Xian Yun Shan [Chinese]
  • Chosen-tōhi [Japanese]
  • Choseon Gaknamu [Korean]
  • Hong Pu Yun Shan [Chinese]
  • Jel Koreiskaya
  • Jong-bi-na-mu [Korean]
  • Korean Red Spruce
  • Koreanische Fichte [German]
  • Koreansk Gran [Norwegian]
  • Koreansk Gran [Swedish]
  • Koreatanne [German]
  • Koreatokuusi [Finnish]
  • Koresgran [Danish]
  • Kurilskaya Yel [Russian]
  • Molti [Korean]
  • Togakumatsu [Japanese]
  • Yun Shan [Chinese]

Distribution: 

  • Asia, East: China (Inner Mongolia), Korea
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Primorye)

Physical Description
Korean spruce is a medium evergreen tree that grows up to 30m (98ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of 0.8m (2.6ft).

Picea koraiensis, no clearly identified photographer.
Taken from the American Conifer Society.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 09 - https://alchetron.com/Picea-koraiensis ]

[Img 10 - https://conifersociety.org/conifers/picea-koraiensis/ ]

Picea aurantiaca, Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio.
From Ecker, Michael E.

Names:

  • Orange Spruce
  • Chinese Golden Spruce
  • Golden Dragon Spruce
  • Golden Spruce
  • Huang Sha [Chinese]
  • Huang Shan [Chinese]
  • Jin Sha Yun [Chinese]
  • Sichuan Golden Spruce
  • Sichuan Spruce

Distribution: 

  • Asia, East: China

Biome: Cold subalpine slopes, steep.

Physical Description
Orange spruce grows on steep slopes at the edges of cold subalpine forests at 3,800-4,000m (12,500-13,100ft).


Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 11 - https://dawesarb.arboretumexplorer.org/taxon-25234.aspx ]

Picea orientalis.
Original image from Karduelis.

Names:

  • Oriental Spruce
  • Anadolu Ladini [Turkish]
  • Caucasian Spruce
  • Doğu Ladini [Turkish]
  • Eastern Spruce
  • Épicéa D'orient [French]
  • Georgian Spruce
  • Gündoğuşu Köknarı [Azerbaijani]
  • Kartuli Nadzvi [Georgian]
  • Kaukasus-Fichte [German]
  • Kavkaska Smreka [Croatian]
  • Kavkazis Nadzvi [Georgian]
  • Morgenländische Fichte [German]
  • Orientalisk Gran [Swedish]
  • Orientfichte [German]
  • Orientgran [Swedish]
  • Østlig Gran [Danish]
  • Pino Oriental [Spanish]
  • Sapin d'Orient [French]
  • Sapins du Caucase [French]
  • Sitka Orientale [Italian]
  • Smrek Východný [Slovak]
  • Smrk Východní [Czech]
  • Vostochnaya Yel [Russian]

Distribution: 

  • Asia, Northern: Russia (North Caucasus)
  • Asia, West: Turkey

Physical Description
Oriental spruce is a large evergreen tree growing 30-45m (98-148ft) tall, sometimes up to 57m (187ft), with a trunk diameter usually about 1.5m and rarely up to 4m (5-13ft). 

Male cones.
Own work--Chiswick Chap.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 12 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Do%C4%9Fu_ladini-1.jpg ]

[Img 13 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Male_Cones_of_Picea_orientalis_%27aurea%27.JPG ]

Picea smithiana, Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy.
Taken by Tom Christian.

Names:

  • Morinda Spruce
  • Himalaya-Fichte [German]
  • Himalayan Spruce
  • Himalayan Weeping Spruce
  • Indian Spruce
  • Morinda [Hindi]
  • Praying Spruce
  • Rāi [Nepali]
  • Rāī [Hindi]
  • Saw Spruce
  • Smith's Spruce
  • Talispatra [Sanskrit]
  • Tashing [Tibetan]
  • Tong Schi [Bhutanese]
  • West Himalayan Spruce

Distribution: 

  • Asia, South: Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

Biome: Alpine

Physical Description
The West Himalayan spruce is a large evergreen tree between 40-55m (131-180ft) tall, occasionally up to 60m (196ft), with a trunk up to 1-2m (3.2-6.5ft). Grows at 2,400-3,600m (7,900-11,800ft).

This species has the longest spruce needles, and these trees are prized in European gardens for the pendulous branchlets.

Its cones are 9-16cm (3.5-6.3in) long and 3cm (1.2in) across. When young, they are green, maturing to buff brown.


Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 14 - https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/picea/picea-smithiana/ ]

Picea purpurea trees, young and old, Ganzi Zangzu, Sichuan, China.
From Ken Marshall on Flickr.

Names:

  • Purplecone Spruce
  • Chinese Purple Cone Spruce
  • Purple Spruce
  • Purpur-Fichte [German]
  • Zi Yun Shan [Chinese]

Distribution: 

  • Asia, East: China

The namesake purple cone.
From thesitegardener.com.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Image Refs

[Img 15 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_purpurea,_Ganzi_Zangzu,_Sichuan.jpg ]

[Img 16 - https://www.thesitegardener.com/master_plants/plant/2252/purple-cone-spruce/ ]

Picea jezoensis, Tokachidake Onsen, Hokkaido, Japan.
Own work (presumably)--Inti-sol~commonswiki.

Names:

  • Yezo Spruce
  • Ajanfichte [German]
  • Darkbark Spruce
  • Ezo Matsu [Japanese]
  • Ezo Spruce
  • Hondo Spruce
  • Jezo Spruce
  • Kuro Ezomatsu [Japanese]
  • Momi [Japanese]
  • Northern Japanese Spruce
  • Shirofukumatsu [Japanese]
  • Shirokaba [Japanese]
  • Siberian Spruce
  • Sikhote Spruce

Distribution: 

  • Asia, East: Japan, Korea
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Kuril Is., Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutskiya)

Physical Description
Yezo spruce is a large evergreen tree that grows from 30-50m (100-164ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of up to 2m (6.5ft). Its bark is thin and scaly and fissuring in old age.

Jezo bark, by violettadzizyurova.

Culture

Tonkori
The Ainu of Hokkaidō have a stringed instrument called a tonkori, which has a body made from Jezo spruce.

Tonkori, from the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum in Nibutani, Hokkaido, Japan.
Own work (presumed)--Hno3.

Compiler Notes

  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • Worth looking into the tonkori if one writes in a Japanese-inspired setting.

Image Refs

[Img 17 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_jezoensis.JPG ]

[Img 18 - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/185245922 ]

[Img 19 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tonkori.jpg ]

* * * * * * *

See Also:

* * * * * * *

-Drury, N. (2004). The dictionary of the esoteric: 3000 entries on the mystical and occult traditions. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. 

-Drury, N. (2005). The Watkins Dictionary of Magic: 3000 entries on the magical traditions. Watkins. 

-Higley, Sarah L. (2007). Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition, Translation, and Discussion. Palgrave Macmillan. 

-Skinner, Charles M. “Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants : In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery), 1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970, https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin. 

-Tresidder, J. (2008). The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols. Watkins. 

( https://powo.science.kew.org/ )
( https://www.secretflowerlanguage.com/ ) — Defunct
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_abies )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_asperata )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_aurantiaca )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_jezoensis )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_koraiensis )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_orientalis )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_purpurea )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_schrenkiana )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_smithiana )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spruce )


Name assistance provided by Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

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