The spruce is sometimes confused with other conifers, quite often with the fir and occasionally with the pine. However, there are unmistakable characteristics by which even laypeople can easily and unequivocally recognize a spruce.
Spruces have short, pointed needles
How do I recognize a pine?
The pine clearly has the longest needles of the native conifers. Depending on the species, they are about four to eight centimeters long and are relatively soft. Your cones are almost round, but usually about ovoid.
The scales attached to the cone spread open when ripe so that the seeds can fall out. Nevertheless, the scales are still stuck. Pine cones are very suitable as decoration or for handicrafts.
What are the characteristics of a spruce?
Spruce has short, hard and pointed needles that grow all around the branch, in contrast fir needles only grow flat on two sides and are much softer. A healthy spruce usually has an evenly conical crown. However, there are also species with special growth forms.
It is not easy to recognize a tree by the bark alone, as this can change depending on the tree species and age. In general, the bark of a red spruce, also called common or common spruce, is reddish to reddish brown with quite thin scales. The cones, which are up to 16 centimeters wide and hang on the branches, are also characteristic of spruces. Pine cones are significantly smaller and stand upright.
The most important distinguishing features:
- Needles: long and soft in pine, short, hard and pointed in spruce
- Cones: in pine roundish with large scales, in spruce long and narrow, with fine scales
- Bark: grey-brown with plate formation on pine, mostly reddish and thinly scaly on spruce
- Height of growth: pine approx. 40 m, spruce up to 60 m
- Crown: Flattened at the top in pine, uniformly conical in spruce
tips
The easiest way to tell pine and spruce apart is by their needles and cones. Professionals also recognize them by the bark and/or the trunk.