Plant Indices
- Alphabetical Index (Genera)
- Alphabetical Index (Vernacular)
- Cladistic Index
SPRUCE (Picea)
Family: Pinaceae
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Picea abies, the Norway Spruce. From [Defunct], originally uploaded by MPF. |
- Japanese: Ezo Matsu, Guto-no-ki, Ogurayama, To-domatsu, Yezo Matsu
- Russian: Yel'
- Czech: Smrek, Smrk
- German: Fichte
- LINGUA IGNOTA: Schoimchia
- Polish: Pruce, Świerk
- Slovak: Smrek
- Croatian: Smreka
- Estonian: Kuusk
- Latvian: Grano
- Lithuanian: Granas
- Romanian: Picea
- Slovenian: Smreka
- Danish: Gran, Granen
- Finnish: Kuusi
- Norwegian: Gran
- Swedish: Gran, Granträd, Julgran
- Greek: Aghatis
- Italian: Abete Rosso
- Spanish: Abeto
- English: Spruce
- French: Épicéa
Northern hemisphere.
Native to:
- Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (Altay, Tuva, West Siberia), Xinjiang
- Asia, East: China, Japan, Korea, Russia (Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutiya), Taiwan
- Asia, Northern: Russia
- Asia, South: Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan
- Asia, Southeast: Myanmar
- Asia, Western: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey
- Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland
- Europe, Eastern: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine
- Europe, Northern: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden
- Europe, Southern: Greece, Italy
- Europe, Western: France
- America, North: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Mexico, United States (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
Introduced to:
- America, North: United States (Kentucky, Ohio)
- Europe, Northern: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Netherlands
- Europe, Southern: Spain
- Europe, Western: Belgium, England, Ireland, Scotland
- Oceania: Australia (New South Wales)
Biome: Temperate and boreal regions (taiga).
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.
Victorian Flower Language
Greenaway identifies spruce with the message "hope in adversity."
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.
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A Red Spruce tonewood used for violin tops. From Old World Tonewood Co. |
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.
- 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."
Common Spruce (Picea abies)
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Picea abies, by Keila-Paldiski railway, Estonia. Own work--Ivar Leidus. |
- Japanese: Ezo Matsu
- Russian: Obyknovennaya Yel
- Czech: Smrek Ztepilý
- German: Europäische Fichte, Fichte, Rottanne
- Hungarian: Európai Lucfenyő
- Polish: Świerk Pospolity
- Slovak: Smrek Obyčajný
- Estonian: Harilik Kuusk
- Slovene: Smreka
- Slovenian: Običajni Smrek
- Danish: Almindelig Gran, Granen, Julegran, Rødgran
- Finnish: Euroopan Kuusi, Joulukuusi, Kuusi, Metsäkuusi, Pihtakuusi
- Norwegian: Europeisk Gran, Gran
- Swedish: Gran, Granträd, Julgran
- Italian: Peccio, Pezzo
- English: Common Spruce, European Spruce, Norway Spruce, Spruce
- French: Epicéa Commun
- 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)
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.
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Young female cone, Keila, Northwestern Estonia. Own work--Ivar Leidus. |
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Old Tjikko, Fulufjäll, Sweden. Own work--Karl Brodowsky. |
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
- Retained for names, distribution, and medicinal properties.
Asian Spruce (Picea schrenkiana)
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Picea schrenkiana forest near Kaindy lake in Southeast Kazakhstan. From Jonas Satkauskas. |
- Kazakh: Küykerli Şırşa, Shrenka Shyrshasy
- Chinese: Shi Song, Shilengke Yun Shan, Tian Shan Yun, Xī Lián Yún Shān
- Russian: Schrenkovskaya Yel
- German: Asiatische Fichte, Schrenkfichte
- Swedish: Schrenks Gran
- English: Asian Spruce, Central Asian Spruce, Schrenk's Spruce, Tian Shan Spruce
- French: Épicea de Schrenk
- Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
- Asia, East: China (Xinjiang)
Biome: Alpine Forest
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.
- Retained for name and distribution.
Dragon Spruce (Picea asperata)
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Picea asperata, Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan, China. From matsuyuki on Flickr. |
- Chinese: Lao-long-shan, Mao Yun Shan, Yun Shan
- Japanese: Ezomatsu, Ryūshin
- German: Rauhfichte
- English: Chinese Dragon Spruce, Dragon Spruce, Rough Spruce
- French: Feuilles Rugueuses
- Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai)
Dragon spruce is a medium-sized evergreen tree that grows 25-40m (82-131ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of 1.5m.
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Dragon Spruce cone. From Luke Sato on Flickr. |
- Retained for name and distribution.
Korean Spruce (Picea koraiensis)
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Picea koraiensis, no listed photographer. From Alchetron. |
- Chinese: Chao Xian Yun Shan, Hong Pu Yun Shan, Yun Shan
- Japanese: Chosen-tōhi, Togakumatsu
- Korean: Choseon Gaknamu, Jong-bi-na-mu, Molti
- Russian: Jel Koreiskaya, Kurilskaya Yel
- German: Koreanische Fichte, Koreatanne
- Danish: Koresgran
- Finnish: Koreatokuusi
- Norwegian: Koreansk Gran
- Swedish: Koreansk Gran
- English: Korean Red Spruce, Korean Spruce
- Asia, East: China (Inner Mongolia), Korea
- Asia, Northern: Russia (Primorye)
Korean spruce is a medium evergreen tree that grows up to 30m (98ft) tall and has a trunk diameter of 0.8m (2.6ft).
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Picea koraiensis, no clearly identified photographer. Taken from the American Conifer Society. |
- Retained for name and distribution.
Orange Spruce (Picea aurantiaca)
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Picea aurantiaca, Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio. From Ecker, Michael E. |
- Chinese: Huang Sha, Huang Shan, Jin Sha Yun
- English: Chinese Golden Spruce, Golden Dragon Spruce, Golden Spruce, Orange Spruce, Sichuan Golden Spruce, Sichuan Spruce
- Asia, East: China
Biome: Cold subalpine slopes, steep.
Orange spruce grows on steep slopes at the edges of cold subalpine forests at 3,800-4,000m (12,500-13,100ft).
- Retained for name and distribution.
Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis)
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Picea orientalis. Original image from Karduelis. |
- Russian: Vostochnaya Yel
- Azerbaijani: Gündoğuşu Köknarı
- Georgian: Kartuli Nadzvi, Kavkazis Nadzvi
- Turkish: Anadolu Ladini, Doğu Ladini
- Czech: Smrk Východní
- German: Kaukasus-Fichte, Morgenländische Fichte, Orientfichte
- Slovak: Smrek Východný
- Croatian: Kavkaska Smreka
- Danish: Østlig Gran
- Swedish: Orientalisk Gran, Orientgran
- Italian: Sitka Orientale
- Spanish: Pino Oriental
- English: Caucasian Spruce, Eastern Spruce, Georgian Spruce, Oriental Spruce
- French: Épicéa D'orient, Sapin d'Orient, Sapins du Caucase
- Asia, Northern: Russia (North Caucasus)
- Asia, West: Turkey
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).
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Male cones. Own work--Chiswick Chap. |
- Retained for name and distribution.
Morinda Spruce (Picea smithiana)
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Picea smithiana, Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy. Taken by Tom Christian. |
- Bhutanese: Tong Schi
- Hindi: Morinda, Rāī
- Nepali: Rāi
- Sanskrit: Talispatra
- Tibetan: Tashing
- German: Himalaya-Fichte
- English: Himalayan Spruce, Himalayan Weeping Spruce, Indian Spruce, Morinda Spruce, Praying Spruce, Saw Spruce, Smith's Spruce, West Himalayan Spruce
- Asia, South: Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan
- Asia, Central: Tibet
Biome: Alpine
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.
- Retained for name and distribution.
Purplecone Spruce (Picea purpurea)
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Picea purpurea trees, young and old, Ganzi Zangzu, Sichuan, China. From Ken Marshall on Flickr. |
- Chinese: Zi Yun Shan
- German: Purpur-Fichte
- English: Chinese Purple Cone Spruce, Purple Spruce, Purplecone Spruce
- Asia, East: China
- Retained for name and distribution.
Yezo Spruce (Picea jezoensis)
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Picea jezoensis, Tokachidake Onsen, Hokkaido, Japan. Own work (presumably)--Inti-sol~commonswiki. |
- Japanese: Ezo Matsu, Kuro Ezomatsu, Momi, Shirofukumatsu, Shirokaba
- German: Ajanfichte
- English: Darkbark Spruce, Ezo Spruce, Hondo Spruce, Jezo Spruce, Northern Japanese Spruce, Siberian Spruce, Sikhote Spruce, Yezo Spruce
- Asia, East: Japan, Korea
- Asia, Northern: Russia (Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Kuril Is., Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutskiya)
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.
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| Jezo bark, by violettadzizyurova. |
Tonkori
The Ainu of Hokkaidō have a stringed instrument called a tonkori, which has a body made from Jezo spruce.
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Tonkori, from the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum in Nibutani, Hokkaido, Japan. Own work (presumed)--Hno3. |
- Retained for name and distribution.
- Worth looking into the tonkori if one writes in a Japanese-inspired setting.
* * * * * * *
Prestigious Plants
- Plants
- Flowers
- Trees
- Ferns
- Moss and Lichen [Pending]
- Fungi [Pending]
- Cladistic Index
- Herbal Medicine [Pending]
- Resin, Incense, Balsam, and Lacquer [Pending]
Other Gymnosperms
[Img 01 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_abies.jpg]
[Img 02 - https://www.oldworldtonewood.com/product/torrefied-violin-red-spruce-top/]
[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]
[Img 06 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG_9369-Kaindy.jpg]
[Img 07 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jiuzhaigou2.jpg]
[Img 08 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/164174675@N05/41288838014/]
[Img 09 - https://alchetron.com/Picea-koraiensis]
[Img 10 - https://conifersociety.org/conifers/picea-koraiensis/]
[Img 11 - https://dawesarb.arboretumexplorer.org/taxon-25234.aspx]
[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]
[Img 14 - https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/picea/picea-smithiana/]
[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/]
[Img 17 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_jezoensis.JPG]
[Img 18 - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/185245922]
-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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