Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii

 

Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)

• Needles: Scattered singly all around the branch, leaving a woody base when falls from branch.  1 inch long, sharp tipped, and 4-sided.  In cross-section, forms a square. All sides have white stomatal stripes.
• Bark: On mature trees, thin, red-brown, broken into loosely attached, circular scales. Under the plates, color is purple to reddish brown.
• Cones: 1-2  inches long with flexible, papery scales  with irregular ragged tips.
• Form: Large tree with a narrow pyramidal crown.
• Unique identifier: Sharp (pointed tips), short, square, needles. Leave a woody base on the twig when fall off.  Bark breaks into loose scales.