Description and photo of European spruce. Spruce and its species Spruce coniferous tree description

Find out in today's article about the structural features of spruce. How to propagate spruce? The oldest and tallest pine trees. If the topic interests you, keep reading.

European spruce (ordinary)- a coniferous plant belonging to the Pine family. Coniferous plants include both trees and shrubs. They are united general device leaves - in conifers they are needle-shaped and evergreen (perennial), although there are also deciduous representatives, for example, larch. We are used to seeing firs in the forests, but in Lately the trend of using common spruce in decorating yards, creating large-scale landscape compositions. Don't forget about medicinal properties tree, beginning with essential oil, finishing cones. Wood is actively used in industrial purposes. Ate we set to New Year according to the good old tradition.

Features of the structure of spruce:

evergreen tree;
Reaches 30-50 m in height;
The crown is cone-shaped;
The branches are drooping, multi-tiered;
The bark is grayish-brown, connected by platinum;
Leaves are 4-sided needles on pads;
Life expectancy up to 300 years;

Phytoncides- biologically active substances that are released by plants and kill bacteria - perfectly purify the air, soothe or tone up nervous system depending on the season. Scientists conducted a study on 1 group of volunteers during summer and winter. People were offered to walk through the pine forest at different periods, after which they assessed the state and mood. In summer, the smell of spruce perfectly soothes, and in winter it tones. Walk through the coniferous forest and see for yourself that strength is added and stress disappears.

Spruce breeding features

Reaches maturity at 20 years of age. The seed-bearing period is long and can occur even at 60 years. The period depends on the location of the spruce: loners ripen faster, and closely planted trees “resolve” for a long time. Seeds are formed every year. Has female cones 15 cm long - megastrobiles, with the help of which seeds are stored and further reproduction occurs. Cones are formed on biennial branches. Pollination takes place in May. The branches droop in autumn. Surviving the winter at the beginning of March, the scattering of seeds of common spruce begins on the crust(dense crust of snow), which is typical for the forest.

Spruce - unique plant able to withstand a small fire. Many conifers are considered forest protectors, and, for example, larch is often planted near buildings - there are many examples when a tree “saved” from fire. Coniferous plants are real centenarians. Although they are given up to 300 years, but in California the bristlecone pine grows, which, theoretically, can safely develop up to 5000 years.

Conifers also include:

Fir;
Juniper;
Sequoia (the tallest tree in the world);
Cedar;
Cypress;
Sciadopitis;

↓ Write in the comments what interested you in today's information? What could you add to the article?

The well-known spruce is a representative of the largest family of conifers, namely pines. The word "spruce" in translation from Old Slavonic means resin.

In the plant kingdom, one of the first and most important places is occupied by a spruce belonging to a genus that includes more than 50 types. The plant is distributed throughout the world from Central Asia and North America before South Africa.

Norway spruce

How long does a spruce live? What types of spruce are there? How to grow spruce at home? All these questions are considered in this article.

Description

Spruce is an evergreen, straight-barreled, very slim tree with a conical crown. The tree trunk is very difficult to see, because it is hidden behind the wide "paws" of spruce.

Spruces of all ages are covered with branches to the very base. The bark of young trees is grey colour with a brownish or brick tint, smooth to the touch. Old spruce trunks are rough, the bark peels off in places, streaks of resin are visible. The needles are needle-like and stay on the branches for up to 10 years. In an urban environment, the life of needles does not exceed 5 years, and environmental degradation further reduces the period.

Needles of a coniferous tree are tetrahedral in section, single, located on the branches in a spiral. Cones are dense, elongated and cylindrical in shape. The position of the cones on the branch is hanging down. In autumn, the cones mature and open to disperse seeds.

Seeds cover the seed scales, they are provided with "wings", in the form of a bowl. Wings are designed for the flight of seeds in the wind. Simple observational experience will show that one the seed can fly a distance of 150–200 m.

Grows in Russia several subspecies of the common spruce:

"Acroson".
"Barryi".
Crusita.
"Cupressina".
"Echiniformis".

Plant characteristics

A very unambiguous description of common spruce: one of the most undemanding plants on the globe. Spruce does not need fertile soils and perfectly takes root on poor clay soils and loams, as well as on sandy hills.

Spruces are not afraid of shady slopes or areas with stagnant water in the ground. The plant is incredibly frost-resistant, not afraid of the continental and northern climate. It grows in the taiga, tundra and beyond the Arctic Circle.

Spruce does not withstand gas pollution and does not tolerate smoke. Despite this, this tree is used in urban landscaping and is excellent for planting park areas in both single and group plantings. Spruce is widely used for planting snow protection strips. Undersized or dwarf decorative forms are great for alpine slides, personal plots or landscape decoration. Not a single landscape rock garden is complete without dwarf spruce, which goes well in combination with arborvitae and wild stone.

The name of the coniferous tree speaks for itself and exactly the name indicates the range. Norway spruce grows in the Central and European part of Russia, it is the main coniferous tree forming the taiga.

The territory of European Russia and the North of Siberia is gradually changing from ordinary spruce to Siberian. There is no significant difference between the species. There are no intraspecific differences from pine and larch.

However, spruce, when choosing a growth condition, is unpretentious, while larch is very shade-loving and grows very difficult in unshaded areas. Pine at the shoot stage is damaged by spring frosts or can get sunburned.

It is important to remember that all plants suffer greatly from forest fires provoked by humans or seasonal arson.

Spruce needles are used in medicine, because they contain a huge amount of vitamins, minerals and other useful substances:

vitamins B3, K, C, E, PP;
essential oils;
phytoncides;
tannins;
carotenoids;
natural bioregulators;
resins;
manganese, copper, iron, chromium.

Tinctures and decoctions of spruce needles treat many various diseases and pathologies, for example:

viral diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
bronchial asthma;
kidney disease;
neurosis, sciatica, plexitis;
fungal skin lesions;
hypertension, atherosclerosis.

Periods and features of tree growth

European spruce is famous for its poor metabolism of minerals and is very grows slowly in the first 10 years of life. Then the growth rate increases sharply and stops only after 120–150 years old. Spasmodic, uneven growth distinguishes European spruce from Siberian.

It has long been known that spruce is a recognized long-liver, and if conditions allow it, it survives without problems. up to 300 years.

Spruce develops best on loam and sandstone.

Soil of this kind allows the tree to form a branching root system that goes deep underground and keeps the tree on the surface. Do not forget that spruce is a lover of damp places. However, in places with excess moisture in the soil, spruce forms a shallow root system of small diameter, so with a strong gust of wind, the root system may not hold the tree.

An unpretentious tree is found even in swampy areas if the swamp has a flowing character. The root system is small compared to pine, which explains the instability of spruce during winds and external factors. Another feature of the tree is the phenomenon in which the lower branches dry up, but do not die. For this reason, spruce forests are always damp and dark.

Despite all its unpretentiousness, spruce remains a very delicate tree species. You can grow spruce in almost any region. Spruce grows well under the canopy of trees, such as oak, pine, birch, ash. Under the cover of other representatives of the flora, spruce remains much more demanding than pine in growing conditions. If you still need not a large number of water. For these reasons, you rarely see a pine tree and a Christmas tree growing nearby.

reproduction

Common spruce propagated by seeds which are very easy to assemble. It is enough to cut a few spruce cones and keep warm until completely dry. Trying to get the seeds or peel the cone is not worth it, because the cones themselves open and you will get seeds that have excellent germination.

It will be useful to process the seeds potassium permanganate solution.

An excellent soil for planting seeds will be calcined river sand. Pour the soil into the pot, water it a little and deepen the seed by 1.5–2 cm. The container must be placed in the refrigerator or on the balcony for stratification. The stratification procedure is necessary for seeds, since in nature the grains of conifers are exposed to cold in winter. Stratification stimulates the early germination of seeds. In the cold, the seeds should be about 3 months, such a period will simulate wintering. Seeds that have not undergone stratification may lie in the ground for several years, but never sprout. After the lapse of time, the containers with seeds are placed in a warm, bright place and waiting for seedlings.

October-November is considered the ideal time for sowing, so that the presence of seeds in the ground just teaches for the winter. In February-March, taking out a container from a balcony or refrigerator, the seeds fall favorable conditions for germination. With the onset of spring, the duration of daylight hours increases and the plants start to grow.

During the period of being in the ground, the seeds require generous watering, which corresponds to natural conditions, because in winter the snow periodically melts, creating a water cushion. Humidity and warmth are the main conditions for the start of seedlings of conifers.

When the containers are moved to a bright place, after a couple of weeks, a baby spruce will rise. You will immediately see that this is real. conifer tree, because the needles appear first.

Now it is important to maintain a balance in watering in order to prevent over-wetting or under-watering. Once a week, young spruces need to be fed with fertilizers, as well as loosened upper layer soil.

When the frosts recede and the small seedlings get warmer, it's time to plant them in the soil. Before planting, humus or compost mixed with soil is added to the hole.

You can add a small amount mineral fertilizers. Adult spruces do not feed. The seedlings are placed in the hole, the roots are carefully covered with prepared soil, lightly tamped and watered. For each sprout, a small film greenhouse is created, plastic bottle or glass jar. The procedure is necessary for the fastest acclimatization.

Every day, seedlings must be ventilated. They need to be opened, aired, soil moisture checked and condensate removed. After 10 days, the greenhouses can be removed, and the soil around the young Christmas trees can be covered with mulch to preserve moisture.

Seedlings stay in containers for 3-4 years. In conditions of slow growth, this period is considered optimal. At this age, seedlings are most adapted to strong temperature fluctuations, they are not afraid of burns and frosts.

Like all coniferous species- spruce ornamental plant. Spruce has always adorned gardens, parks, old Russian estates. Thanks to modern breeding work, many varieties of spruce have been bred, which are used in landscape and garden design. Norway spruce, grown from seeds with one's own hand, will decorate any site, and can also become the ancestor of many traditions. This method of growing common spruce is suitable for tall varieties. Growing seedlings with your own hands is a guarantee of rapid adaptation to the climatic conditions in your area.

Among the existing varieties are landscape designers Special attention give dwarf spruce. The growth of dwarf spruce is usually does not exceed 1 m, the crown is wide and dense, the needles are soft. dwarf spruce great for garden arrangements, landscape objects and alpine slides.

The most sought-after representative of the dwarf species is nidiformis. It is the most showy and easily cultivated.

The crown of nidiformis is round in shape, reaches a diameter of 3 m, and the height barely reaches 1 meter. The crown is flattened in shape and resembles a nest. This is due to the absence of the main branches of the tree, numerous thin branches grow in a fan shape. The needles are of high density, short and dark green, very soft and dense, evenly covering the branches in a spiral pattern.

The tree grows very slowly, gaining no more than 4 centimeters in height and 8 cm in width per year. The Christmas tree is unpretentious to the ground, grows well in loams and sandstones of any level of acidity. Due to the slow growth, the plant allows you to save the created landscape for many years. Nidiformis is very frost-resistant, but it is still better to cover young plants for the winter. Nidiformis is not a pure species, therefore, reproduction is carried out exclusively by the vegetative method - layering or cuttings. Nidiformis seeds are useless. The reason is that such a plant is selected from various kinds conifers. The progenitors of nidiformis were tall conifers.

If you can’t grow such a conifer, there is only one way to the store. Dwarf nydiformis are sold in pots or containers. The main principle of choosing this expensive plant is the belief that the root system is strong. There are no mechanical damages and the needles are not infected with pests.

Before going to the store, read the information about the shape of the crown, the size of the plant, as well as the features of caring for it.

Conclusion

European spruce or as it is also called ordinary - great decoration for any garden. A suburban area planted with fir trees always looks like it is ready to celebrate the New Year.

Norway spruce (European) - a worthy decoration of any suburban area. Spruce appeared in Europe in the 16th century, there is a description of spruce reproduction dated 1511, then seedlings were very rare.

Nowadays, there are more than a hundred garden and designer forms of spruce, and seedlings and seeds can be easily purchased in specialized stores and nurseries.

known to all Christmas tree called European Spruce, is the only local species in Central Russia. Belongs to the plant kingdom, the genus Spruce. Not everyone knows where this type of spruce grows. There is a lot of it beyond the Urals, in Siberia, in the territory of central and northern Europe, Finland. After pine, it is the second most common.

Tall evergreen trees are planted in the green areas of megacities and other settlements. They are used in the creation of artificial landscapes, decorative design parks, squares, gardens. Used for hedges. Through photosynthesis, the tree converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, improving the composition of the surrounding air.

In addition to the woodworking industry, wood is used in the pulp and paper industry. Despite the presence of knots, building materials are produced from spruce wood - boards, lining, skirting boards, parquet. The common Christmas tree is often referred to as red fir because of the pinkish hue of the wood, which distinguishes it from other species. Tar, rosin, turpentine are extracted from it. Unripe fruits - green cones are recognized as medicinal raw materials.

There are many in the world different varieties this tree. Their wood has differences in its appearance and quality. Heartwood and sapwood do not differ in color.

Characteristic features of the plant

In nature, spruce trees are classified as forest-forming species. Dense spruce forests can be found in the taiga. For Middle lane Russia is characterized by mixed forests consisting of spruce and pine. This tree is a scioheliophyte. It can develop normally, grow both in shady places and on sunny edges. Consists in biosynthesis with insects, animals, birds, which carry seeds and promote the spread of the species.

Spruce is a monoecious plant that has a pyramidal crown. The height does not exceed 20 meters, but peculiar champions are also known, reaching a mark of 50 m. The trunk in girth is up to 2.4 m. The bark is gray, peeling off with plates. It has four-sided shiny needles, the length of which is 1-2 cm, it can remain on the branches up to 12 years. From the age of 15, bumps begin to appear. Can form dwarf forms. The European spruce sprout requires the following conditions for good development:

fertile soil;
moistening of the earth should be carried out running water, the tree does not grow in wetlands;
despite the fact that the tree shows resistance to drought and severe frosts, areas with returning frosts should be excluded.

The Christmas tree is a hardy and long-lived tree. Up to 10 years, growth is slow, and then the annual growth is about 70 cm. Some species reach the age of 120-150 years. Occasionally, there are three-hundred-year-old trees. The oldest single spruce lived to be 468 years old. If the trunk is dead, the trees successfully give basal clones-shoots. In the first 15 years, the tree has a tap root, then it gradually dies off, and the whole system continues to develop, as if it were superficial.

The most ancient tree on the planet is recognized as a spruce growing on Mount Fulufjallet, in Sweden. The age of the modern trunk, which has its own name Tikko, is estimated at several hundred years, its height is about 5 m. The total age of the tree organism releasing new clones was obtained by scientists using radiocarbon analysis. He is over 9,500 years old.

Once a year, new "floors" of branches appear at the spruce. Therefore, it is easy to determine how many years a small spruce has been growing, it is enough to count the tiers and add 3-4 years, the time required for the development of the very first of them.

Species and varieties

The genus of firs includes 50 species. Many of them have decorative forms. You can find trees with a weeping crown, blue or silver needles. They also differ in height. The shortest do not exceed 50 cm, and the most slender can grow up to 50 m.

In addition to European spruce, small-seeded spruce is also common. They grow on Far East. Another name for it is El Ayanskaya. This is a slender tree, 40-50 m high. The length of the needles is up to 2 cm, it is gray-gray below and green above. It is difficult to tolerate transplanting and pruning.

The Balkan (Serbian) spruce differs from others in horizontally diverging, shaggy branches. Shoots of new growth hang from them in long threads. Collectors did not disregard beautiful trees and brought undersized forms Gnome (1.5 m) and Nana (3 m).

At the European Spruce large group ornamental varieties. They differ in size and appearance:

Compacta is a low dense tree with dense hanging shoots.
Elegance is a graceful and slender spruce.
Inverse - with weeping drooping branches and a height of not more than 8 m.
Clan-brassiliana - resembles a wide hornet's nest.
Echiniformis is a dwarf tree for alpine slides. Differs in slow growth.

For those who want to create a unique color landscape in their garden, Aurea, whose needles have an unexpected golden color, or on Argentea, with branches that shimmer with silver, will do.

Araucaria - Norfolk spruce. Up to a certain age, a young tree is suitable for growing indoors. Unlike other, even low-growing and ornamental varieties, which require a temperature of -8-12 C for normal growth, araucaria grows in winter at -15-18 C. There are 15 varieties of “home spruce”.

Blue spruce is native to North America. It is also called prickly spruce. She feels great in large gassed cities. It's big beautiful tree- a real long-liver, the age of some specimens is approaching 5 centuries. But her cones are small, about 3 cm. decorative forms blue Spruces have white, blue, silvery and yellowish needles, the color of which gradually turns green before winter. This species includes such luxurious decorative varieties:

Lutescens - famous for the yellow halo of branches that persists throughout the year.
Atviridis - its deep, dark green color can serve as an accent spot in a landscape composition.
Compact - characterized by a flat crown.

So that these trees grow spectacular beauties, in early spring it is necessary to remove the buds at the ends of the shoots.

It is difficult to ignore the Tien Shan spruce (Eastern Tien Shan and neighboring regions of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan), which is a subspecies of Schrenk's spruce growing in China. Height up to 60 m. The crown is compact. The branches are drooping, with long (up to 4 cm) curved needles and large (up to 12 cm) cones. Frost-resistant and photophilous. Its spherical, unique shape (diameter - 1.8 m) Globoza can become worthy decoration any park or square.

How to grow

Spruce cannot be called a capricious tree, but it needs to be looked after. Growing it is easy, you just need to follow a series simple rules contributing to better survival and adaptation of the seedling.

Initially, choose a place to land. We must not forget that this is a tall, long-lived tree, with a shallow root system, because of which it can be dangerous during storms, hurricanes or a sharp increase in winds. Therefore, it cannot be planted near houses and other buildings, unless it is an ornamental variety.

Christmas trees love sunny glades, edges, open spaces. There they can grow into real fluffy beauties. However, one must take into account the fact that under them it is unlikely to be able to harvest a decent crop of vegetables or berry crops - a thick shadow will not allow them to reach normal sizes. Suitable slightly acidic or neutral soil. It is best to plant in late April or early May. Here are some landing tips:

Purchase a two-year-old strong seedling from a reputable nursery.
Please note - when digging or buying a seedling, an earthen lump must be preserved, protecting the roots.
A pit for planting spruce should be prepared in two weeks. Its size: depth 1 m, diameter 70 cm.
If you plant spruces to create a hedge, then the distance between the pits should be 2-3 m.
Make drainage - a layer of broken brick about 20 cm thick. Two-thirds fill the hole with a nutrient substrate consisting of turf, leaves and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1;
Add 150 g of nitroammophoska to the substrate and mix everything.
Water the hole and lay a layer of peat on top.
When planting, make sure that the root neck is flush with the ground.

Spruce can be planted in autumn. But definitely in cloudy, cool weather. From August 20 until the end of September, the trees have a chance to grow strong.

Periods and features of growth

Most of the characteristics of the growth of seedlings are made up of climatic conditions and the characteristics of the place of growth itself. There are also certain growing patterns:

During the first vegetative cycle, the growth of the germinal root, the extract of the hypocotyl, and the development of the epicotyl occur. After that, the formation of the root system and the assimilation apparatus is carried out. Shoots begin to form needles after 20 days.
The development of annual seedlings is slow and gradual. New vegetative organs are formed in stages. They finish their growth already in August, when their partial lignification occurs.
The root system begins to develop with the appearance of root endings. Lateral endings of the 3rd order complete the creation of the root system of an annual spruce and can form in September, when the plant has stopped its ground growth.
The engraftment phase is indicated by a two-year period. Then, the process of forest stand formation is distinguished, which can last 10-20 years.
The formation of trunks depends on the characteristics of the rock, terrain and ranges from 15 to 30 years.
The process of strengthening fruiting has a duration of 10-20 years.
The onset of the ripeness phase, when it is advisable to carry out deforestation.

Young trees can suffer from sunburn received in early spring. They do not tolerate drought and stagnant moisture.

reproduction

Spruce can be grown in several ways. One of the easiest is seed sowing. Spruce cones collected in autumn, placed on a sheet of paper, will open after a while. Until the seeds spill out of the cone, it is necessary to prepare a place for planting. 1 bucket of peat, half a bucket of sand, a liter jar of ash are poured into the pit. Seeds are moistened, leveled and covered with a layer of earth. After winter stratification, the seeds will sprout the next spring, although some of them can do this only in the second year. Grown seedlings should be transplanted to permanent place in two years.

Cuttings are taken from a 6 or 9 year old tree. The tip of the cutting is cleaned of needles and placed in a growth stimulator solution. After 10 minutes, it is planted in the soil at an angle of 30 °, covered with a film. Then, as needed, water, fertilize.

For alpine slides and creating flower beds, seedlings are grown from one cone planted in the ground in spring. In autumn, multiple sprouts of a cushion-shaped form appear, which is distinguished by a short life span of 3-4 years. But some gardeners like to decorate their flower beds and flower beds in this way.

Watering and care

Watering is done in such quantity that there is no stagnation of moisture. But the drying of the soil near the root system should not be allowed. May to September, during active growth, you need to water the seedlings with the addition of mineral fertilizers.

If the plants are grown indoors, they are moistened with a sprayer in winter. At a temperature of 5-10 C watered 2 times a month, at 0 C - 1 time.

Spruces are susceptible to fungal diseases. They cause browning and death of the needles in the spring.

You can grow spruce at home, and when you reach a certain size and age, plant a tree in open ground. The structure of the root system and further growth do not allow spruces to be kept at home.

The common spruce known to everyone belongs to the extensive family of conifers, namely pines. Translated from the Old Slavic language, "spruce" means "resin". Among the plants, the main place is occupied by spruce, which includes about 50 species. The culture is widespread throughout the planet and grows from Central Asia to South Africa and North America. It is important to consider in more detail the description of an ordinary spruce.

Description of culture

Spruce is an evergreen crop with an upright, slender trunk and a dense, cone-shaped crown. The trunk of the culture is quite difficult to distinguish, as it is hidden under the branches.

ate different ages covered a large number branches that grow to the very foundation. The bark of young cultures is colored gray-brown or brown, quite smooth to the touch. Old spruce trunks are rough to the touch, the bark is strongly cracked in some places, smudges of resin can be discerned. Needles ate ordinary needle and continue to be stored on the plant for ten years. In the conditions of growth in the city, the life time was eaten no more than five years, and the deterioration of the environment shortens the life of the plant even more.

The needles of coniferous culture in the section of the tetrahedral type are located singly along the perimeter of the entire spiral of the branch.

Features of plant growth

European spruce is characterized by poor metabolism, therefore it develops very slowly in the first decade after planting. After the process of development of culture begins to accelerate and stops only after 120 years. The uneven growth of European spruce distinguishes it from Siberian.

Spruce is considered a long-liver, which can freely grow in one place for three centuries. Culture is best formed on sandstones and loams.

This soil mixture helps the culture form branched rhizomes that are attached deep underground and help the plant to stay stably on the surface. It is also important to remember that spruce especially likes to grow in damp areas. But in places where there is too much liquid in the soil, the culture develops superficial roots. small size. In strong winds, such a root system may not hold the plant.

Spruce can grow even in swampy places if the swamp is flowing. The root system of the culture is small compared to pine, this can explain the instability of the plant when exposed to strong winds and external factors. Another property of the plant is that its branches dry out, but do not die completely. Spruce forests are always characterized by special dampness and shading.

Despite undemanding growing conditions, spruce continues to be a delicate plant. It can be grown almost anywhere. The culture grows well under sloping trees, for example, pines, ash-trees and oaks. Spruce continues to be more demanding in terms of growing conditions compared to pine. It is important to provide the culture with some amount of water, even if it is minimal. It is for these reasons that it is very rare to see spruce and pine growing close to each other. Place one seed in a container with soil and deepen it a few centimeters. It is important to put the container in the refrigerator or in a cold place in the house (this will be stratification). It is especially important to carry out this procedure, since in the nature of needle grains in winter time exposed to low temperatures.

Stratification helps speed up seed germination time. In a cold temperature, the seeds should be kept for three months, this time will help ensure the wintering of the crop. That planting material, which has not been stratified, can long time lie in the ground, but never sprout. After some time, the container with the seeds inside is placed in a clarified place and the first sprouts are waiting.

For sowing, it is best to choose October or November, so that the seeds in the ground just fall in the winter season. In March, a container with seeds that was in the refrigerator or on the balcony will be the best material for seedlings to germinate.

(lat. Pícea) - a genus of plants of the Pine family (Pináceae), in terms of prevalence among coniferous trees, it ranks second after pine. Spruce lives - 250-300 years, there are trees up to 500-600 years old. In the USA (Colorado), a long-liver grows - Engelman spruce, whose age is 852 years.

Monoecious trees with a pyramidal crown, whorled branching and interwhorled shoots. The trunk is full-woody, up to 40-50 m high, in some species - up to 80-90 m, with a butt diameter up to 1-2 m, the bark is red-brown or gray, flaky with thin scales; young branches are brown or reddish, glabrous or slightly drooping, with strongly protruding leaf traces, buds ovate-conical, pointed, brownish, non-resinous. The needles are hard, prickly, tetrahedral, in the lower part of the crown - flat (shadow needles), does not fall off for 6-9 years.

Spruce forests (spruce forests) are evergreen dark coniferous forests with a predominance of spruce in the tree layer. They are among the naturally progressive edificators capable of invading other phytocenoses and even displacing them. Spruce forests grow in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, occupying a significant part of the territory of Europe, Asia and North America.

In Russia, they are distributed from the western borders to the eastern. They form the landscape of the taiga zone. The total area of spruce forests in Russia is about 70 million hectares with a timber reserve of over 10 billion m3. Spruce forests are in fourth place in terms of area after larch, pine and birch forests. In spruce forests, both pure forest stands and mixed with deciduous and coniferous species are formed.

spruce wood

Spruce is a nuclear-free ripe wood species. The wood was white, with a slight yellowish tint, low resinous. Engelman spruce wood is darker - yellowish-brown. Resinous passages are few and small. Spruce wood has a homogeneous structure with annual layers clearly visible in all cuts, disturbed by numerous knots.

Spruce belongs to the species with low density and with a sharp difference in the structure of the early and late wood of the annual layers. The number of annual layers per 1 cm of the cross section and the percentage of late wood depend both on the species and on the place of its growth. So, for example, for common spruce (European) in the north of the European part of Russia, the number of annual rings is 12.1, and the percentage of late wood is 21, for Siberian spruce (Western Siberia) - 6.5 and 25, respectively, for eastern Siberia - 9 and 25.

The microroughnesses remaining after processing the surface of spruce wood are 8-60 microns, which is significantly lower than hardwood. Freshly cut spruce wood has a moisture content of about 110%. The maximum humidity at water absorption is 212%.

Moisture conductivity indicators are an important characteristic for choosing the mode of drying wood; the intensity of isothermal transfer of bound water depends on them. The values of the coefficient of moisture conductivity (Dх1010 m2/s) for spruce are presented in the table.

These values differ little from those of pine, but are 1.5-1.8 times higher than those of larch and hardwoods. Spruce, like pine, belongs to low-drying species. The uniform structure of the wood and long fibers make spruce less prone to warping and cracking during the drying process (compared to pine).

Spruce belongs to the species of low density. The average density of spruce wood at standard humidity (12%) is 445 kg/m3, absolutely dry - 420 kg/m3, base density - 365 kg/m3.

The permeability of liquids and gases along the fibers of spruce is slightly higher (by 15-20%) than that of pine, but the difference between the gas permeability in the radial and tangential directions is the largest in spruce (in the radial, more than in the radial, 10 times; in pines - 2-5 times).

In terms of strength properties, spruce wood is somewhat inferior to pine. In terms of long-term resistance to deformation, it is practically not inferior to pine, as well as in another indicator - the ability to hold fasteners. Spruce wood bends somewhat better than pine wood.

In terms of resistance to decay (biological damage), among domestic species, spruce is classified as medium-resistant species (it is noticeably inferior to pine heartwood), according to the European standard EN 350 - 2: 1994, spruce belongs to low-resistant species (pine is moderately resistant).

The generally good machinability of spruce wood is significantly hampered by numerous knots, the hardness of which is often so great that it causes chipping of the blades of the carbide tool.

The use of spruce wood

Spruce is a tree exceptional in its properties. One of these properties is musicality. From ancient times, spruce has been used to make musical instruments, including strings. The Novgorod gusli of medieval Rus' was most often made from spruce.

The upper soundboards of violins, cellos, guitars have long been made of resonant spruce, which provides the instruments with the beauty of sound. She seems to be holding the sound. The requirements for musical wood are special: not to have knots, curls, rolls and other defects. Annual layers should be of the same width, and on a radial cut, straight and parallel.

Spruce musical instruments have an amazing sound, because the fibers in the wood are distributed very evenly (such wood is called resonant). Violins by Italian makers, including Amati and Stradivari, are made from spruce.

Looking for good stuff craftsmen and restorers musical instruments they find wood when dismantling old houses, which, over decades of stable microclimate, acquires truly wonderful musical properties. The fact is that with gradual drying in the capillaries of the resin passages of wood, microscopic resonant chambers are formed, it seems to acquire a voice.

The 19th-century French explorer Savart calculated the speed of sound in spruce wood. It turned out that it is 15-16 times greater than the speed of sound in air. There have been many attempts to replace spruce wood with other types of wood, but none of them were successful. Experts believe that it is unlikely that it will be possible soon to find a material that, in terms of its acoustic properties, will be similar to a resonant spruce.

Spruce wood is difficult to process due to the high hardness of the knots, but in some areas the huts were built entirely from spruce. It was believed that it was easy to breathe in such a hut, there was even a saying: "The hut is a spruce, but the heart is great."

Spruce wood is soft, light, not very durable, used as construction material(boards, beams), for small crafts, for processing into wood pulp.

Spruce is used for the production of wood chemical products - paper and cardboard, cellulose, turpentine, rosin, tar, wood vinegar, methyl alcohol. Volatile fractions of different composition are isolated from needles and wood, consisting mainly of terpenoids - the so-called. essential oils, their main component is pinene.

It is applied in decorative gardening and park building. It is notable for the accuracy and grace of the crown, the slenderness of the trunk, and shade tolerance. Hedge spruce is very thick and almost impassable. There are many garden forms and cultivars. Spruce is often used to create windbreaks, especially along roads. Seeds serve as food for forest birds (woodpecker, crossbill) and rodents (mouse, squirrel). Spruce bark is used as a leather tanning agent. Pine needles are often used to prepare coniferous-vitamin flour for livestock feed.