Spruce seeds are found between the scales of the cones. Once the cones have dried thoroughly, they will fall out easily. In nature, the cones fall and release seeds, or they are shaken out by wind, or distributed through bird and animal activity. Shake the cones and collect the seeds.

Each spruce tree carries male and female cones. To reproduce, the smaller male cones let loose grains of pollen, which are the male gametophytes. The pollen travels on the breeze to fertilize the egg cells in the female cones.

How does it reproduce? Being a semi-serotinous species, black spruce cones readily open and disperse seeds after wildfires. It also reproduces through layering, which occurs when the lower branches touch the ground and put down roots that then send up new stems.

The Black spruce shares a similar range with the White spruce, growing in the northern temperate and boreal woods. It has a straight trunk with an irregular, narrow canopy and short, compact, drooping branches with upturned tips. Seed cones are purple-brown in colour, egg-shaped and smaller than other spruces.

It will grow in closed forests, but is classified as shade intolerant; this means it requires full sun for optimal growth and nut production. Black walnut’s native range extends across much of the eastern US.

Spruce belongs to the genus of coniferous evergreen trees of the pine family. There are about 40 species. It is one of the main forest-forming species.

Black Spruce has a number of edible uses. The young male catkins reportedly can be used as a flavoring. The central portion of immature female cones, when roasted, is said to be sweet and syrupy.

Pines are long lived and typically reach ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva. One individual of this species, dubbed “Methuselah”, is one of the world’s oldest living organisms at around 4,600 years old.

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine

Pines have both a beneficial and detrimental impact on the environment. Because of the acidity level in the needles, the soil near a stand of pines is highly acidic, which prevents other plant life from growing. Pines growing along waterways help prevent the erosion of stream beds or river banks.

Pine trees are one of the biggest contributors to air pollution. They give off gases that react with airborne chemicals — many of which are produced by human activity — creating tiny, invisible particles that muddy the air. The air that we breathe is chock-full of particles called aerosols.