Red Spruce

Red Spruce is a spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from the Canadian Maritime provinces south through New England and along the Appalachian Mountains into North Carolina and Tennessee. It is a medium to large evergreen conifer reaching 18 to 30 meters, with short, four sided needles and small, reddish brown cones, and it typically grows in cool, moist mountain forests often mixed with balsam fir. The species has suffered notable decline since the mid twentieth century in parts of the Appalachians, attributed in significant part to acid deposition and associated soil chemistry changes at high elevation sites. Red Spruce wood has long been prized for its resonant qualities and is a traditional material used in the soundboards of stringed instruments.