Sitka Spruce

Also known as Coast Spruce, Tideland Spruce, Silver Spruce

Sitka spruces dominate the cool, damp fog belt of the Pacific Northwest coast, where high atmospheric moisture and rich alluvial soils allow them to reach record-breaking heights. Sharp, stiff needles radiate in all directions around their shoots, while thin, scaly bark breaks into distinctive circular plates on mature trunks. Their massive, sprawling root systems anchor them against severe winter ocean gales, enabling these forest giants to thrive for over five centuries.