Both carry needles and cones, mostly grow in the forest and look confusingly similar. It is often difficult for laypersons to distinguish a spruce from a pine. Do you feel the same? Then you should definitely read the following article. The clearly presented differences make you an expert in tree identification.
The long cones of the spruce hang from the branch
Different characteristics of spruce and pine
Sometimes a single glance is enough, sometimes you have to pay closer attention to details. In any case, it helps to know which characteristics are important in order to distinguish a spruce from a pine.
The needles
Spruce:
- arranged around the branch
- 1-2 cm long
- pointed, square, rigid
- new shoots are bright green
Jaw:
- wax-coated surface
- 3-8 cm long
- bluish green or silvery grey
The cones
Spruce:
- long, cylindrical
- hang on the branch
- 10-16 cm long
- mature in the first year
- colored red or brown
Jaw:
- round, spherical
- 3-6 cm long
- mature every two years
- gray or dark brown
the bark
Spruce:
- thin-scaled
- straight
- brown or red
Jaw:
- forms plates
- gets fatter with age
- grey-brown
- bicolored trunk (yellowish or fox red above)
growth height
Spruce:
- up to 60 meters
Jaw:
- up to 40 meters
The crown
Spruce:
- conical
- evenly
Jaw:
- slim and pointed
- flattened crown
Pros and cons of wood
There are also differences in the use of the wood of both tree species, which result from the different properties
Spruce:
- Due to the large number of spruce trees, it is the most commonly used wood in Germany
- fewer branches
- lighter than pine wood
- the heartwood forms a ripe core. which makes the spruce wood susceptible to pest infestation
Jaw:
- higher resin content
- therefore more durable and resistant
- the heartwood forms a color core, so it is very resistant to pests
- can be impregnated well
Happen
Last but not least, the two conifers also differ in their distribution area. Spruce is the most common conifer species in Germany, closely followed by pine. The latter, on the other hand, is more often found in the cold, northern regions.