White spruce

The white spruce (Picea glauca) is a native species emblematic of Canada’s boreal forests. This tree can reach up to 30 metres in height. Its needles are broad and four-sided, with rounded tips, and measure 1 to 2 centimetres long. Because of their square shape, they can easily be rolled between the thumb and forefinger.

The needles are arranged in a spiral around the twigs, and their colour ranges from green to a silvery matte blue-green.

The bark is thin, pale greyish-brown, and covered with fine scales that crack with age.

The buds are covered with sharp-pointed outer scales. The cones are cylindrical and pendulous, measuring 3 to 7 centimetres in length. At maturity, they turn light brown.