https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200982355
In my home town of Juneau Alaska, there are Sitka Spruce trees everywhere you look. It is one of the most commonly seen here. This particular spruce is on a small footpath along a creek behind my house. Its a very beautiful area, nice and quiet. Sitka spruce trees grow from northern California all the way to the Aleutian chain.
The Sitka Spruce or "Picea sitchensis" is a tree that lives along coasts, which has caused it to developed a tolerance for sea water. It can only live in low elevations along these coasts, and can only be far away from coasts if they are near large, ocean flowing rivers. Because it is so restricted to these conditions, the presence of Sitka Spruce is used to identify forest zones. (Personally I think that is really cool) Forests containing these trees have very high productivities on the planet.
It also has one of the highest strength to weight ratios. It also has the shortest lifespan of all western conifers, as one has never grown older than 400 years.
The Native people of Alaska and the northwest have many uses for Sitka Spruce trees. The resin is used as chewing gum, caulking in canoes, and treatment for skin irritants.
Its tips are also used in brines and teas, and used it as an antiseptic for treatment of the lungs and sores. They also use the inner bark for traditional weaving, and it was consumed for treatments of colds and tooth pain.
"Sitka Spruce (Picea Sitchensis)." Washington State Department of Natural Resources, efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/lm_hcp_west_oldgrowth_guide_ss_hires.pdf. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
"Sitka Spruce." Pierce Conservation District, piercecd.org/474/Sitka-Spruce. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
Griffith, Randy S. "Picea Sitchensis." United States Department of Agriculture, www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/picsit/all.html#:~:text=Sitka%20spruce%20acts%20as%20an,the%20coastal%20forests%20%5B22%5D. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
(None of these sites had publication dates)