life span of black hills spruce
Black spruce can grow to reach heights up to 20 m and are thought to live as long as 280 years, though few are thought to reach this age, owing to the prevalence of forest fires and logging in the boreal forest. The dominant feature in the life cycle of the black spruce, and all other coniferous trees, is the cone. A cone, which may also be called a strobilus, consists of a central axis which is surrounded by tightly packed, thick scales.