White Spruce
Picea glauca
A hardy northern conifer and major boreal timber species, widely planted as a windbreak and screen. Dense and symmetrical with short blue-green needles; cytospora canker and spruce spider mites are the main landscape concerns farther south.
Field reference
Family
Pinaceae
Growth rate
Moderate
Mature size
40–60 ft tall, 10–20 ft spread
Hardiness zone
2–6
Soil preference
Moist, well-drained soils; cold-hardy and wind-firm, tolerates a wide pH range
Sun
Full sun
Pruning window
Late dormant season; needs little pruning beyond deadwood
Wood properties
Light, straight-grained softwood (~0.37 SG) milled as spruce-pine-fir. Dense conical crown sheets a lot of wind; whole-tree removals lower in predictable tiers.
Native range
Northern North America across the boreal forest, Alaska to Newfoundland
Green weight
34 lb/ft³
Pests & diseases to watch
Bagwormspest · Moderate severity · peak Larvae feed and enlarge bags June–August; bags overwinter with eggsScale Insectspest · Moderate severity · peak Vulnerable mobile 'crawlers' emerge late spring–summer (species dependent)Cytospora Cankerfungus · Moderate severity · peak Cankers expand in spring and fall; symptoms most visible in summer dieback
Common questions
Why are the lower branches of my spruce dying and oozing white sap?
Bottom-up branch death with white resin crust is classic cytospora canker, common on spruces stressed by heat or drought. Prune out dead branches in dry weather, disinfecting between cuts, and reduce stress with mulch and water.
Is white spruce a good windbreak tree?
Yes — it is cold-hardy, wind-firm, and densely branched to the ground, making it one of the best evergreen screen and windbreak conifers in northern climates.
Related species in Pinaceae
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