Evergreens

Spruces, Firs, and Douglas Firs

Colorado Blue Spruce

(Picea pungens)

Blue Spruce Needles

Engelmann Spruce

(Picea engelmannii)

Engelmann Spruce Needles

Engelmann cones (left) are smaller than Blue Spruce cones (right)

Norway Spruce

(Picea abies)

Norway Spruce Needles

Norway Spruce Cones

White Spruce

(Picea glauca)

White Spruce Foliage

White Spruce Cones

Douglas Fir

(Psuedotsuga menziesii)

Douglas Fir Foliage & Cone

Douglas Fir cones often cover the tree from top to bottom while the spruce cones are only near the top of the tree. Both spruce and Douglas fir cones hang downward from the branch and persist at maturity. Tree Fir cones grow upward form the branch and disintegrate at maturity.

Blue Spruce cones

Douglas Fir cones

A sure way to tell a D Fir from a spruce is that there are no snake tongues (bracts) between the scales of a spruce and there are snake tongues (3 point bracts) between the scales of a Douglas Fir.

Concolor Fir Needles

Spruce Needles

The needles of a spruce are sharp and rigid. The needles of both firs and Douglas firs are softer and not so pointed. It hurts to grab the needles on a spruce but not on firs and D firs….  Sticky Spruce… Friendly Firs

Concolor Fir

(Abies concolor)

Concolor Fir Needles

Concolor Fir Cones

Subalpine Fir

(Abies bifolia (formerly lasiocarpa))

Subalpine Fir Foliage

Subalpine Fir cones, core after dispersion

Alberta Spruce

(Picea glauca)

Alberta Spruce Foliage

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