You have probably read about poisoning from the needles or berries of the yew tree. Like the spruce, it belongs to the plant order of the conifers (bot. Coniferales), but is only very closely related to it.
Young spruce shoots are even edible
The spruce is not poisonous, so you can safely plant this conifer in your garden. The fresh shoots with still soft needles are actually very tasty and aromatic. They can be used to make a delicious spruce needle liqueur. But they also taste great simply sprinkled over a spring salad.
The essentials in brief:
- non-toxic
- fresh shoots and tips very aromatic and rich in vital substances
- suitable for salad or liqueur
- older needles taste resinous and bitter
- Best time to harvest: May, before the needles harden
tips
An excellent spruce tip liqueur can be made from the delicate tips of the spruce. But they also taste great in a spring salad.