Picea abies
Rotfichte
Red Spruce
Dänn
Epicéa

Size:
The spruce reaches heights of 40 m and more. In the commercial forest it grows up to 150 years old.

Leaf: 
The evergreen spruce needles are pointed and prick easily. They remain on the tree for six to twelve years.

Flower/Fruit: 
Spruce blooms every three to four years in red female cone flowers and male yellow flower clusters. The tree does not reach flowering maturity until it is more than 10 years old. The mature brown spruce cones are narrow and up to 15 cm long and contain winged seeds a few mm in size, which drop out while still on the tree in autumn. Afterwards the cones are dropped.

Wood:
In Europe, the spruce is one of the most important commercial tree species in the forest. It grows very quickly and straight and is relatively undemanding in terms of location. It is suitable for paper production and provides good timber.

Trivia/Use: 
Spruces are a very variable genus of woody plants. In cultivation this has been used for growing numerous garden forms (hanging forms, dwarf forms, etc.).