Sitka Spruce

Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis, is a conifer of the family Pinaceae and the largest species of spruce, growing along a narrow strip of the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to northern California, often in dense, fog-fed temperate rainforest. Its wood combines light weight with high strength, which made it the preferred material for early aircraft frames, including much of the structure of British and American fighter planes in the First World War, and its fine, even grain still makes it a favored tonewood for the soundboards of acoustic guitars and pianos.