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Picea glauca

In brief

White spruce, widely known as Picea glauca, is a North American conifer in the pine family, Pinaceae. [1]

Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.
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Overview

Its range extends across Canada between Alaska and the Atlantic region, with populations in the northern United States.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

The name Picea laxa also appears in modern botanical references: Kew’s Plants of the World Online accepts that name and treats Picea glauca as its synonym.

[2] [3]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G01
Entire visible name record: authorship, synonym-of link to Picea laxa, cited authorities, alternative taxonomies and WCVP/IPNI 2026 source attribution.
evidence:G02
Accepted name; native and introduced ranges; homotypic/heterotypic synonym lists including Picea glauca; classification and taxonomic authorities. No occurrence dataset or image read.

Shape, needles and cones

White spruce usually has a straight trunk, a conical or narrow crown and short, resinous needles.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

Its hanging seed cones are commonly about 3–6 cm long, with small winged seeds inside.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

The tree’s form changes with its setting: near treeline it can grow as a low, spreading shrub rather than a tall forest tree.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

A season of reproduction

Pollen-producing and seed-bearing cones occur on the same tree, but generally occupy different parts of the crown.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Reproductive buds begin developing in the year before pollination.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Pollination timing varies with climate and elevation, and fertilization follows several weeks later.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Developing seed cones turn downward, and the seeds mature later in the same growing season.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Dry weather opens cones for seed release; wind then carries the seeds away.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Cone crops vary greatly between years, so a mature tree does not provide the same seed supply every season.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Where seedlings succeed

White spruce occupies river margins, uplands and treeline habitats, often alongside trees such as aspen, birch and black spruce.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

It grows well with a reliable supply of aerated water but tolerates a range of soil conditions; stagnant water can restrict its roots.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Seedlings may establish on decaying logs, while thick surface organic layers can impede regeneration in some forests.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

Living in a landscape that burns

White spruce is often killed by fire because of its thin bark and shallow roots.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

Its cones are not normally held shut until fire releases the seed crop.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

After a burn, regeneration commonly depends on seeds arriving from surviving trees at the edge or in unburned patches.

[4]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G03
Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.

Insects and chemical defences

The eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, feeds particularly on new foliage and can cause severe damage in spruce–fir forests.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

White spruce foliage contains defensive phenolic compounds, including the acetophenones piceol and pungenol.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Trees differ in these chemical traits, and an association study in mature white spruce linked some of that variation to genetic markers.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Such variation makes resistance a biological trait to investigate, not a guarantee that every white spruce resists an outbreak.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Why the species matters

White spruce wood is used for pulp and construction lumber.

[1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

It has also helped researchers tackle the challenge of assembling very large, repetitive conifer genomes.

[6]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G05
Abstract; Introduction; Methods 2.1 Sample collection and opening 2.2. Primary paper read beyond abstract at publisher minimal HTML endpoint. Study accession string not independently endpoint-verified and not copied as a current accession.

Genome research has revealed duplicated genes and possible pseudogenes in defence-related families, opening questions about how chemical diversity evolves.

[7]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G07
Summary; Introduction and opening assembly descriptions including PG29/WS77111 provenance and PG29 admixture; selected defence-gene interpretation paragraphs. Explicitly historical 2015 assemblies, not latest live NCBI versions.

Names do not erase provenance

Kew lists Picea glauca as a heterotypic synonym of Picea laxa, while its record also documents literature that accepted Picea glauca under an alternative treatment.

[2] [3]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G01
Entire visible name record: authorship, synonym-of link to Picea laxa, cited authorities, alternative taxonomies and WCVP/IPNI 2026 source attribution.
evidence:G02
Accepted name; native and introduced ranges; homotypic/heterotypic synonym lists including Picea glauca; classification and taxonomic authorities. No occurrence dataset or image read.

This is a source-specific taxonomic treatment, not evidence that a study conducted under the name Picea glauca concerned Norway spruce.

[2] [1]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G01
Entire visible name record: authorship, synonym-of link to Picea laxa, cited authorities, alternative taxonomies and WCVP/IPNI 2026 source attribution.
evidence:G04
Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.

A genome belongs to sampled material

The 2013 shotgun-genome paper used apical shoots from genotype PG29 and reported a highly fragmented draft assembly.

[6]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G05
Abstract; Introduction; Methods 2.1 Sample collection and opening 2.2. Primary paper read beyond abstract at publisher minimal HTML endpoint. Study accession string not independently endpoint-verified and not copied as a current accession.

Warren and colleagues later reported features of genetic admixture in PG29 involving white, Engelmann and Sitka spruces, alongside an assembly from the eastern genotype WS77111.

[7]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G07
Summary; Introduction and opening assembly descriptions including PG29/WS77111 provenance and PG29 admixture; selected defence-gene interpretation paragraphs. Explicitly historical 2015 assemblies, not latest live NCBI versions.

Consequently, PG29 should not be treated as an unqualified genetically pure representative of all white spruce populations.

[7]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G07
Summary; Introduction and opening assembly descriptions including PG29/WS77111 provenance and PG29 admixture; selected defence-gene interpretation paragraphs. Explicitly historical 2015 assemblies, not latest live NCBI versions.

The 2015 paper’s V3 and V4 labels describe historical PG29 assembly updates, not a claim about the newest available genome release.

[7]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G07
Summary; Introduction and opening assembly descriptions including PG29/WS77111 provenance and PG29 admixture; selected defence-gene interpretation paragraphs. Explicitly historical 2015 assemblies, not latest live NCBI versions.

Association is not a complete defence mechanism

The acetophenone study sampled 211 unrelated mature trees and analysed chemical traits, Pgβglu-1 expression and genetic markers.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Piceol and pungenol are distinguished from their sugar-linked counterparts, picein and pungenin, whose biological effects are not interchangeable.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Marker associations can guide investigation, but they do not by themselves validate a causal effect for every associated gene.

[5]
Evidence for this statement

Editorial synthesis

Where to check this statement

evidence:G06
Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.

Identity

Scientific name

Picea glauca

[8]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:ID04
taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HQ2V]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 4238807

Taxonomic rank

species

[8]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:ID04
taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HQ2V]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 4238807

Provider status

accepted

[8]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:ID04
taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HQ2V]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 4238807

col identifier

4HQ2V

[8]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:ID04
taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HQ2V]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 4238807

Classification

The cited sources disagree.

Source lineage

  1. Eukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978 domain
  2. Plantae kingdom
  3. Pteridobiotina Britton & Brown subkingdom
  4. Tracheophyta phylum
  5. Pinopsida Burnett class
  6. Pinidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm. subclass
  7. Pinales Gorozh. order
  8. Pinaceae Spreng. ex Rudolphi family
  9. Picea A.Dietr. genus
  10. Picea glauca (Moench) Voss species
[9]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:BL04
sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read

This is the source’s classification, not an inferred species phylogeny.

Source classification release

Inspect structured data
classification semantics
provider_source_classification_only
phylogeny
False
release
COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
Source
Catalogue of Life / ChecklistBank
source sha256
891457d62af389842924ef1de8bd6fbbdf9f6b03428ef5dd487bed4d04c0ace0
metadata reports source sha256 verified
True
source sha256 independently recomputed in this delivery
False
verification scope
Saved scientific JSON release metadata; installed exact row additionally read
[9]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:BL04
sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read

This is the source’s classification, not an inferred species phylogeny.

Alternative Kew taxonomic treatment

Inspect structured data
Provider
kew_powo
name record
urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:195874-2
name
Picea glauca (Moench) Voss
taxonomic status
synonym
accepted name
Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.
accepted name record
urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:195881-2
comparison scope
This differs from the supplied COL26.7 Base accepted-name treatment; neither the assigned CoL identity nor the canonical route is changed.
[2] [3]
Evidence for this statement

Source annotation

Where to check this statement

evidence:G01
Entire visible name record: authorship, synonym-of link to Picea laxa, cited authorities, alternative taxonomies and WCVP/IPNI 2026 source attribution.
evidence:G02
Accepted name; native and introduced ranges; homotypic/heterotypic synonym lists including Picea glauca; classification and taxonomic authorities. No occurrence dataset or image read.

This is the source’s classification, not an inferred species phylogeny.

From this article to your own question

Choose a statement in this article and open its evidence. Record whether it concerns the whole species, a particular specimen or specific study conditions. Then follow a suitable guide to preserve identifiers and state which evidence your question still needs.

Evidence for this statement

EcoGenesis

    Continue exploring

    Compare two spruces →Which tree answers my question? →How is a living thing organised? →

    Sources and versions

    Editorial draft · human review pending

    1. White Spruce — Silvics of North America

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      1990-12-01
      Reading scope
      selected_page_sections_read
      Location in the original source
      Citation; Introduction; Distribution; selected Environmental Associations on soil and water; Sexual Reproduction including buds, pollination, fertilization, cone development, seed production/dispersal and germination; beginning of regeneration under established stands.
    2. Picea glauca (Moench) Voss — Plants of the World Online

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Reading scope
      visible_record_fields_read
      Location in the original source
      Entire visible name record: authorship, synonym-of link to Picea laxa, cited authorities, alternative taxonomies and WCVP/IPNI 2026 source attribution.
    3. Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg. — Plants of the World Online

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Reading scope
      visible_record_fields_read
      Location in the original source
      Accepted name; native and introduced ranges; homotypic/heterotypic synonym lists including Picea glauca; classification and taxonomic authorities. No occurrence dataset or image read.
    4. Picea glauca, white spruce — Fire Effects Information System

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      2015-09
      Reading scope
      selected_page_sections_read
      Location in the original source
      Citation and Summary; Botanical Description/Morphology/Stand Structure; Fire Effects on Plants; Postfire Regeneration Strategy; Fire Adaptations; opening Plant Response to Fire; Importance to Wildlife and Livestock. Selected sections only of a long review.
    5. Association genetics of acetophenone defence against spruce budworm in mature white spruce

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      2018
      Reading scope
      selected_full_text_sections
      Location in the original source
      Abstract; Background; Methods opening and Plant materials. Includes 211 unrelated mature trees, sampled defence traits and study design; no SNP-level causal validation claimed.
    6. Assembling the 20 Gb white spruce (Picea glauca) genome from whole-genome shotgun sequencing data

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      2013-05-22
      Reading scope
      selected_full_text_sections
      Location in the original source
      Abstract; Introduction; Methods 2.1 Sample collection and opening 2.2. Primary paper read beyond abstract at publisher minimal HTML endpoint. Study accession string not independently endpoint-verified and not copied as a current accession.
    7. Improved white spruce (Picea glauca) genome assemblies and annotation of large gene families of conifer terpenoid and phenolic defense metabolism

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      2015-05-28
      Reading scope
      selected_full_text_sections
      Location in the original source
      Summary; Introduction and opening assembly descriptions including PG29/WS77111 provenance and PG29 admixture; selected defence-gene interpretation paragraphs. Explicitly historical 2015 assemblies, not latest live NCBI versions.
    8. Assigned exact CoL identity — Picea glauca

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
      Reading scope
      supplied_installed_row_read
      Location in the original source
      taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HQ2V]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 4238807
    9. Saved CoL classification — Picea glauca

      2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified

      Provenance and original
      Source version
      COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
      Reading scope
      supplied_scientific_json_read
      Location in the original source
      sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read
    Inspect structured data
    Content version
    2bfaa9e584594c5257cbe0a7283556cb018ee259ac49ab29629bdbc5e807ce58
    Source version
    editorial-source-set.v1@54ea9a856da73e41d73a925c67bbbdff2c7f645652ca448a24abe8fc6775abfa
    Updated
    2026-10-01

    Where this organism has been observed

    Explore observations on the map →

    Observations and connections with other organisms

    Explore published sightings and reported interactions, such as feeding or pollination. Each record links to its source.

    Research about this organism

    01 · A place in the living world

    Classification

    Explore the tree of life
    1. DomainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
    2. KingdomPlantae
    3. SubkingdomPteridobiotina Britton & Brown
    4. PhylumTracheophyta
    5. ClassPinopsida Burnett
    6. SubclassPinidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm.
    7. OrderPinales Gorozh.
    8. FamilyPinaceae Spreng. ex Rudolphi
    9. GenusPicea A.Dietr.
    10. SpeciesPicea glauca

    02 · From organism to molecules

    Genes, genomes and proteins

    03 · Continue exploring

    Tools and connections

    Taxonomy graphContinue with this species →Genomes and assembliesContinue with this species →ProteinsContinue with this species →LiteratureContinue with this species →Media and morphologyContinue with this species →
    PhylogenyKnowledge graph

    04 · EcoGenesis

    What the available evidence supports

    Classification and name provenance; a source-attributed description.

    A catalogue name does not establish a genome, protein or measurement. Missing records do not mean a trait or gene is absent from the organism.

    Coverage updates as this page checks its sources.

    Sources and licences

    SourceIDLicenceDetails
    col4HQ2V—Source record ↗
    Wikipedia1511050CC-BY-SA-4.0Description version ↗