where . . .

branchlets droop, cones=long (10-15 cm) (4-6 in)
Norway spruce Picea abies

some branchlets droop, others splay horizontal;  needles | very sharp
Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens

buds and twigs=hairless;  needles=blue-green
white spruce Picea glauca

buds and twigs=hairy;  needles=blunt-pointed, short (<1 cm) (<½ in)
black spruce Picea mariana
buds and twigs=hairy;  needles=medium (>1 cm) (>½ in)
red spruce Picea rubens

Learn more about spruce genus Picea (Picea spp.)

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database) Host to caterpillars of 158 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
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