It occurs occasionally as a codominant in some California red fir and western hemlock habitat types. The branching habit of Brewer spruce results in the wood having many knots, and it has little commercial value. Little information on volume or yield of Brewer spruce is available. Artificial propagation is best from seed. Brewer spruce is more susceptible to windthrow than its associates because of its shallow root system.
Brewer spruce is a native, endemic conifer.
The leaves are obtuse, flat on top, and rounded underneath, and spread from all sides of the branchlets. Brewer spruce is monoecious and begins producing seed at 20 to 30 years of age. Germination is epigeal and occurs on loose soil from upturned roots, decaying logs, forest humus, and leaf litter under brushfields. Seedlings are unable to survive strong sunlight and are sensitive to high moisture stress and temperatures of exposed sites. Despite its restricted distribution, Brewer spruce has a broad ecological amplitude.