Spruce: (Picea pungens)
Distribution
Northern New England to the Lake States and Montana and northward into Alaska.
General Description
High strength-to-weight ratio and resonant qualities of clear lumber are attributes that have traditionally made Sitka spruce wood valuable for specialty uses.
Availability
Widely available.
Working Properties
Wood - light, soft, close grained, weak, brittle and often full of knots.
Main Uses
Spruce is one of the most important woods for paper manufacture, as it has long wood fires which bind together to make strong paper. Spruces are cultivated over vast areas for this purpose. Other uses include general construction work and crates to highly specialised uses in wooden aircraft and stringed musical instruments including guitars, mandolins, cellos, and violins.