Black Spruce vs Red Spruce - TreeTime.ca

Black Spruce vs Red Spruce

Picea mariana

Picea rubens

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Black Spruce
Red Spruce

Black Spruce is a medium-sized coniferous tree that tolerates wet ground better than most spruces. It has a characteristic straight trunk and a narrow crown.

Red Spruce is a long-lived, shade tolerant conifer that grows naturally in eastern Ontario and the Maritime provinces. Hardiest in the eastern regions of Canada, this tree tolerates many soil types, moisture levels, and is low maintenance.

Attractive year-round foliage makes Red Spruce a nice ornamental tree for urban and rural landscapes. If you are considering creating a shelterbelt, privacy screen, or hedge in eastern Canada, this tree is an excellent option.

Black Spruce Quick Facts

Red Spruce Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 20 m (66 ft)
Height: 25 m (82 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: none


Bark: reddish-brown to black
Cones: dark purple
Cones: red-brown with stiff scales
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: bog spruce, canadian spruce, double spruce, eastern spruce, shorleaf black spruce, swamp spruce
Other Names: eastern spruce, he balsam, he-balsam, yellow spruce