Picea sitchensis

Sitka spruce

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Sitka spruce is a California native shrub found in the North Coast bioregion in moist soils, especially near coastal river mouths, at elevations below 450 meters. Its branches are distinctively drooping, with rigid leaves 1 to 3 centimeters long that are flat on the upper surface with two faint white bands and rounded underneath with darker green coloration. Growing as a substantial tree potentially reaching up to 66 meters tall with trunks up to 5.1 meters wide, the spruce has glabrous twigs and leaves with sharp, pointed tips that feel rigid to the touch. Its leaves feature a distinctive appearance with two faint, nearly white bands running along the surfaces, creating a subtle textural pattern. The tree produces seed cones less than 10 centimeters long with oblong shapes and papery scales featuring slightly jagged margins.

Habitat: Moist soils, especially near coastal river mouths

Elevation: < 450 m

Bioregions: NCo

California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.