Representatives of conifers are found everywhere. They grow in the wild, in parks, gardens, squares and in personal plots. Conifers are similar, but they have significant differences. For more information on how spruce looks and how to determine the difference between trees that are similar in appearance, read further in the material.

Gender Description

The term "conifer" describes the majority of evergreens that exist on Earth. All of them belong to the group of gymnosperms, which appeared on the planet a very long time ago. The group consists of several departments and conifers - one of them. It includes: cypress, larch, spruce, pine, fir, cedar, as well as a number of shrubs.

Spruce belongs to the family "Pine". These are tall-growth conical trees that reach a height of 20-60 m in adulthood. Representatives of the family are identified by "leaves", that is, needles.

On pines, they are attached to a branch:

• 2 pcs. - in red pines;
• 3 pcs. - in yellow;
• 5 pcs. - with whites.

Translated from Latin, the name of the genus “Picea” means “resinous”, which fully reflects the properties of needles. In total, there are more than 35 species of spruce in the world. They grow in open areas. They are found everywhere in the Far East, in China, Canada, North America. On average, they live up to 300 years, but there are also centenarians who are more than 600 years old.

Did you know? In Swedish forests, the fossil remains of Norway spruce date from the Early Holocene — about 9,500 years ago. There is evidence that young Christmas trees grew from the old root system of the dead tree.

Spruce trees have shorter needles, and they are located on a branch, like on a brush. In texture and shape, these needles are faceted, solid. Fir needles are similar, but softer. The color and length of the needles are not considered reliable means of identification, as these parameters may vary depending on the conditions and location of growth.

Description:

1. Height depends on the type of spruce. Among them there are both vigorous, with a maximum height of up to 90 m, and dwarf specimens - not higher than 1.5 m.
2. The trunk is one, like most trees. The bark can serve as an identifier for age. On young firs, it is smooth, gray. As it grows, it becomes furrowed.
3. Branches grow at an angle of 45 degrees to the top. Scientifically, this is called "upside down." The lower branches are wider and longer than the upper ones.
4. The needles are short, stiff. Each one grows from its own growth point and is attached to the branch by a small, stem-like, woody protrusion. The needles are not round, but square in cross section, which is always noted as one of the main distinguishing features of the tree. If you remove the needle, then the protrusion is removed along with it.
5. The kidneys are red-brown. Before disclosure, their length is 5 mm, including a sharp peak.
6. Fir cones at the beginning of development are green or purple. As they grow, they become reddish or golden brown. The shape is smooth. Cones grow up like candles. And this is the second distinguishing feature of this tree.
7. Ovoid-oval seeds ripen in the cones. Their scales are thin, wavy and irregularly serrated. The tree forms a seed at the age of 20 to 60 years. Therefore, if you plant it for seeds, then do not wait for the crop too early.

In autumn, spruce, like other conifers, discards old needles. Therefore, the internal sections of the tree can be exposed. Each needle grows from its appearance to subsidence 3 years, reaching a length of 2 cm.

Spread in nature

Norway spruce is the main coniferous species that dominates in boreal and subalpine coniferous forests. Distributed in the mountains of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, the Ural Mountains. Then it is replaced by forests of Siberian spruce. Outside Europe, distributed in the United States, Japan. Some species grow even in South Africa, Tasmania and New Zealand.

Important! Spruce has a superficial root system. Therefore, a strong gale can easily knock down a tree if it is not strengthened.

Distribution area of ​​certain types of spruce:

• Brevera (Picea breweriana) - North America;
• Sitkhinskaya (Picea sitchensis) - Pacific Coast, North America;
• Chinese (Picea brachytyla) - China;
• Chihuahuana (Picea chihuahuana) - Mexico;
• Maksimovich (Picea maximowiczii) - Japan;
• Morrison (Picea morrisonicola) - Taiwan;
• East (Picea orientalis) - Caucasus, Turkey;
• Schrenka (Picea schrenkiana) - Central Asia, Tien Shan mountains;
• Himalayan or Smith (Picea smithiana) - Himalayas;
• Ayan or Hokkaido (Picea jezoensis) - Kamchatka, North Asia;
• Blue siberian (Picea obovata) - Siberia.

Although spruce grows well on most types of substrates, it is most often found on acidic soils with fairly low humidity. As it grows, the tree tends to oxidize the soil. In boreal forests it grows next to birch, European aspen, willow. Usually found along streams and lakes. In the Alps forms pure spruce forests or in combination with European larch and Swiss cedar. On hills it grows with ordinary fir. At medium altitudes, up to 1800 m, it is found next to a pine tree.

Popular types of fir trees

The main types of fir trees:

1. Black (Picea mariana) and white (P. glauca) are found in most of northern North America. Both trees give excellent wood. And black is also a source of spruce gum. White spruce grow up to 21 m. Both varieties are resistant to drought, useful in landscaping. Black spruce trees differ from white ones by the presence of a denser coniferous cover of small needles and rounded cones. There are also many morphological differences at the level of the needle and pollen, but they can only be detected under a microscope.

Did you know? External fragments of the bark were used in the form of tiles to cover the roofs of houses or as siding in smokehouses. Coniferous bark panels are believed to maintain internal temperature well during smoking.

Black spruce (P. mariana) is widespread in Canada and the USA. This cone-shaped tree is about 15 m high. Under favorable conditions, grows up to 30 m. Black differs from ordinary firs by hanging down cones. Gardening in a tree can be asymmetric. On the windy side it is much smaller. Black spruces were the first to “develop” peat bogs; therefore, they are well suited for growing on any other soil. Their wood is not of great value due to their relatively small size, but has high strength.

White spruce grows in the temperate and boreal forests of North America. This is the most northern species of spruce, the plantings of which extend north to 69 ° north latitude. It is also considered the most hardy species, withstanding winter temperatures up to -50 ° C.It grows up to 40 m in height. It has a narrow-conical crown, which in old trees becomes cylindrical.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, this tree is represented by many varieties:

Dwarf Canadian spruce Rainbow End (Picea glauca Rainbow's End) has a characteristic bright cream-yellow young growth. And the “rainbow” variety got its name because it gives 2 growths per year: in spring - light green, and in summer - yellow. It looks very impressive against the background of dark green, older needles. By the age of ten, the variety reaches a height of 1 m.

Deyseris White (Picea glauca Daisy's White) also applies to compact varieties. Over 10 years, it grows just above 60 cm. The variety is characterized by shoots of a light cream color. Suitable for both open ground and container growing.

Blue Canadian spruce (Picea glauca Blue Wonder) - the owner of needles of a bluish-steel shade. And that makes her extremely attractive. The needles are located very densely, so the tree looks like a solid bluish cone. An adult tree reaches a height of 1.5 m.

Canadian Sanders Blue (Picea glauca Sanders Blue) is a very decorative variety with bright blue needles. The young growth of a lighter shade looks good against the background of last year's darker needles. The tree is compact. The shape is regular conical. It grows very slowly - no more than 4 cm per year. By ten years does not exceed 0.7 m.

2. Spruce Engelmann (P. engelmannii) grows in North America and is also an important source of wood. Thanks to bluish needles and a symmetrical conical shape, it is often used as an ornamental plant. It forms forests together with fir and larch. The shape of the tree is a long pillar with a pointed crown and sometimes lower branches lower. It grows to 25 m. Branches tend to grow symmetrically. If you break a branch, then a characteristic coniferous aroma spreads around. Used as a decorative tree throughout Europe. It is well known to many as a Christmas tree. It is also appreciated for the wood used in the manufacture of acoustic guitars, harps, violins and pianos.

3. Sitkhinskaya (Picea sitchensis) is valued for wood. Today it is the largest species of spruce in the world. Its height reaches 91 m. She lives for more than 700 years. This is the only variety with flattened needles, with a small "keel" at the bottom. The shape of the tree is columnar with a pointed crown. Branches of different lengths, which gives it a more open look. Wood is considered light, strong and flexible. It is used in shipbuilding, has excellent acoustic properties and is used for the manufacture of pianos and other musical instruments.

4. Brevera - one of the rarest in North America. Included in the International Red Book. Also called weeping due to the fact that the main skeletal branches are secondary, hanging vertically down. They can reach a length of 2 meters, making the tree look like a weeping willow. The height of the tree reaches 54 m, and the trunk width is up to 1.5 m. It grows very slowly, usually less than 20 cm per year. It tolerates harsh conditions. The branches are adapted to withstand sharp gusts of wind and icy masses of snow.

5. Chinese or Sargent - It grows everywhere in China in the mountainous areas. Its differences: rough gray bark, purple-brown young cones, thin rare needles. It reaches a height of 50 m. Its wood is used for the manufacture of furniture, flooring, and wood chips are used in the manufacture of paper. In the landscape design rarely planted due to its high height.

6. Martinez got its name in honor of the botanist who discovered it in 1981. It grows in Mexico in only two places: Sierra Madre and Nuevo Leon. It grows to 35 m. The shape of the tree is conical. The needles are bright green. The cones are conical, when they appear, they are green, and after ripening they become orange-brown. They are pendulum, wide cylindrical in shape, 8–16 cm long and 3 cm wide when closed. The Martinez spruce has some of the largest nuts in the world. But at present they are not used for food, but for the renewal of the plant population. The tree is one of the most thermophilic species. Its winter hardiness zone (USDA) is 9-10, with winter temperatures from -7 ° C to -1 ° C.

Application

Spruce is one of the most important conifers in Europe, both economically and ecologically. It is grown to produce solid wood for the manufacture of wooden structures and pulp in the manufacture of paper.

Also planted to combat soil erosion. The tree is considered one of the best for healing soils. In addition, they are a popular New Year symbol, which we are used to observing everywhere. Wood materials are used for the manufacture of carpentry, furniture, veneer, piano boards, guitars.

Stradivarius and other prominent Italian violin craftsmen used wood from the forests of Norway to make violin cases. However, the material itself is short-lived and needs to be enhanced rot-proof due to sealing substances, for example, varnishes.

In folk medicine

Raw materials obtained from spruce plants have long been used for a long time as the basis for medicines, which are based on:

• oils derived from needles;
• pollen;
• resin;
• needles;
• buds and young shoots.

For medicinal purposes it is used for:

• coughing
• a cold
• bronchitis;
• tuberculosis;
• fever;
• pain and swelling (inflammation) of the mouth and throat;
• muscle pain
• arthritis.

Coniferous components are effective in the fight against bacterial infections. Fir cones were used to make tea for colds.

To make tea you need:

1. Collect 5–15 cones and boil them for 10–15 minutes in a pot of water. The longer the boiling time, the richer the resulting broth.
2. Then, within an hour, the drink must be insisted, filtered.
3. Use to relieve cough, sore throat and sternum 3 times a day for a quarter cup (50 g).
4. The course lasts 3-5 days. The broth can be stored in the refrigerator.

Baths from a decoction of needles will be appropriate for rheumatism. They restore blood circulation, normalize blood vessels and reduce pain.The sticky resin secreted by the tree is used to relieve inflammation and skin irritation. To do this, it is applied to warm tissue and applied to the affected area. A bandage is applied and stored as such until the liquid component is completely absorbed into the skin.

Important! The correct dose of the used medicine from spruce depends on several factors, including the patient's age, the presence of chronic diseases, and general health. Therefore, using such a remedy, adjust the dosage according to your well-being.

The inner bark has always been used as a wound healing agent. To do this, the bark was removed from the sawn tree, and its inner white layer was scraped off with a knife. He was chewed to relieve the symptoms of a cold, or applied to wounds.

Fir trees are planted in hospitals. Their volatile products heal and purify the air. Fresh shoots contain essential oils rich in terpenes, which provides antiseptic, antibacterial and mucolytic properties of spruce. Inhalation of air filled with ethers helps patients recover faster and acts as a tonic.

In industry

Industrial use of spruce started a long time ago. In the Scandinavian countries, ropes, boats, fishing nets were made from its roots. In the spring, after floods, dead trees remained on the banks of the reservoirs. Their roots were divided into parts and weaved networks. Unused, they were stored in water to prevent the fibers from drying out. Snowshoes, stretchers, shafts for shovels and other agricultural implements were made from young trunks.

Spruce wood smooth texture. And by this she is very good as a building material. Spruce belongs to light woods, which are convenient to use for low loads.

Used to make:

• decorative plywood;
• veneer;
• internal floors;
• factory flooring;
• general carpentry;
• manufacturing carpentry.

Spruce also shows good resonant qualities, therefore it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments.

In landscape design

Fir trees, especially dwarf varieties (up to 1 m high), find their application in landscape design.

They can be used in the following quality:

• to decorate garden paths, if the planting is formed “in a row”;
• for visual marking of different park areas;
• for landscaping the territory of a medical institution and air conditioning.

Larger varieties are planted in the form of a protective cordon to protect more delicate plants - roses, peaches from the winds. If the site is inclined, then the roots can strengthen the soil and prevent the displacement of soil from the beds. Large trees are planted in front of the buildings in order to be able to decorate them on Christmas and New Year holidays, thereby creating a festive mood for themselves and passers-by.

For new year

Norway spruce is a universally recognized favorite of the New Year holidays. Pagans used its branches to decorate houses during the winter solstice. Probably, for the first time, fir trees were used as Christmas trees about 1000 years ago.

Did you know? Bark beetle — the most dangerous coniferous pest, easily destroying entire forests in a short period of time.

Strong spruce branches can hold hundreds of garlands and ornaments. The needles do not fall, so the toys are held tightly on the branches. And the whole composition as a whole will decorate the territory for a very long time. After the New Year holidays, such a tree is cut into lumber and then used in construction.

Fir trees can grow almost everywhere. If you choose the right varieties, then you can decorate the site and at the same time get useful ingredients for medicinal purposes. Dwarf trees do not take up too much space. Therefore, you can well plant a couple of beautiful fir trees in the presence of free space.