page_title: Picea sitchensis
section_title: Uses
hierarchical_section_title: Picea sitchensis / Uses
caption_attribution_description: English: End grain in transverse section of Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière
context_page_description: Picea sitchensis, the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to almost 100 m tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m. It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth-largest conifer in the world; and the third-tallest conifer species. The Sitka spruce is one of the few species documented to exceed 300 ft in height. Its name is derived from the community of Sitka in southeast Alaska, where it is prevalent. Its range hugs the western coast of Canada and the US, continuing south into northernmost California.
context_section_description: Sitka spruce is of major importance in forestry for timber and paper production. Outside its native range, it is particularly valued for its fast growth on poor soils and exposed sites where few other trees can prosper; in ideal conditions, young trees may grow 1.5 m (4.9 ft) per year. It is naturalized in some parts of Ireland and Great Britain, where it was introduced in 1831 by David Douglas, and New Zealand, though not so extensively as to be considered invasive. Sitka spruce is also planted extensively in Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. In Norway, Sitka spruce was introduced in the early 1900s. An estimated 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) have been planted in Norway, mainly along the coast from Vest-Agder in the south to Troms in the north. It is more tolerant to wind and saline ocean air, and grows faster than the native Norway spruce. But in Norway, the Sitka spruce is now considered an invasive species, and effort to get rid of it is being made.
  Sitka spruce is used widely in piano, harp, violin, and guitar manufacture, as its high strength-to-weight ratio and regular, knot-free rings make it an excellent conductor of sound. For these reasons, the wood is also an important material for sailboat spars, and aircraft wing spars (including flying models). The Wright brothers' Flyer was built using Sitka spruce, as were many aircraft before World War II; during that war, aircraft such as the British Mosquito used it as a substitute for strategically important aluminium.
  Newly grown tips of Sitka spruce branches are used to flavor spruce beer and are boiled to make syrup.
  The root bark of Sitka spruce trees is used in Native Alaskan basket-weaving designs.
caption: End grain on P. sitchensis plank
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