Black spruce

Picea mariana
Stand of black spruce near Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Picea
Species:	P. mariana
Binomial name
Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenburg
Synonyms
Synonymy Abies denticulata Michx. Abies mariana Mill. Abies nigra (Castigl.) Du Roi Peuce rubra Rich. Picea brevifolia Peck Picea ericoides Bean Picea nigra (Du Roi) Link Pinus denticulata (Michx) Muhl. Pinus mariana (Mill.) Du Roi Pinus marylandica Antoine Pinus nigra Aiton 1789 not J.F. Arnold 1785

Picea mariana (black spruce) is a North American species of spruce tree in the pine family. It is widespread across Canada, found in all 10 provinces and all 3 Arctic territories. Its range extends into northern parts of the United States: in Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and the upper Northeast. It is a frequent part of the biome known as taiga or boreal forest.

Picea mariana is a slow-growing, small upright evergreen coniferous tree (rarely a shrub), having a straight trunk with little taper, a scruffy habit, and a narrow, pointed crown of short, compact, drooping branches with upturned tips. Through much of its range it averages 5–15 m (15–50 ft) tall with a trunk 15–50 cm (6–20 in) diameter at maturity, though occasional specimens can reach 30 m (98 ft) tall and 60 cm (24 in) diameter. The bark is thin, scaly, and grayish brown. The leaves are needle-like, 6–15 mm (¹⁄₄–⁹⁄₁₆ in) long, stiff, four-sided, dark bluish green on the upper sides, paler glaucous green below. The cones are the smallest of all of the spruces, 1.5–4 cm (¹⁄₂–1 ¹⁄₂ in) long and 1–2 cm (¹⁄₂–³⁄₄ in) broad, spindle-shaped to nearly round, dark purple ripening red-brown, produced in dense clusters in the upper crown, opening at maturity but persisting for several years.

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