Alaska State Tree: Sitka Spruce

Alaska recognizes the Sitka Spruce as its official state tree. This evergreen conifer grows 150 to 200 feet tall along Alaska's coast, with exceptional specimens exceeding 220 feet. The trunk measures four to eight feet in diameter at breast height, though ancient trees in protected coves can reach ten feet. These massive dimensions made Sitka spruce Alaska's premier timber species through the 20th century. The wood's exceptional strength-to-weight ratio proved crucial during World War II when Sitka spruce supplied material for aircraft construction. More warplanes were built from Sitka spruce than any other wood during the war years.

The bark appears thin and scaly, flaking off in irregular patches. The color ranges from gray to purplish-brown on mature trees. Sharp, stiff needles surround the twigs on all sides. Each needle measures half an inch to one inch long, bright green on one side with prominent white bands underneath. The needles feel distinctly prickly when grasped. Cones hang from upper branches, measuring two to four inches long. These papery cones with thin, flexible scales distinguish Sitka spruce from other Alaska conifers, which produce heavier, woodier cones.

Sitka spruce grows exclusively along Alaska's Pacific coast, concentrated in Southeast Alaska's temperate rainforest. The species thrives from sea level to about 2,000 feet elevation in the Alexander Archipelago, along the Alaska Panhandle, and west to Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula. These coastal forests receive 80 to 200 inches of annual precipitation, creating the moisture-rich environment Sitka spruce requires. The tree tolerates salt spray and coastal exposure better than competing species. Alaska's Tongass National Forest contains the world's largest remaining intact Sitka spruce temperate rainforest ecosystem, covering 17 million acres of Southeast Alaska.

The common name is Sitka Spruce, named after Sitka, Alaska, where Russian explorers first documented the species in the late 1700s. The scientific name is Picea sitchensis. Picea is Latin for spruce. Sitchensis refers to Sitka, establishing the tree's strong Alaska connection through its scientific name. This species belongs to the Pinaceae family, the pine family.

Alaska Natives have used various names for this tree in their languages. The Tlingit people call it shéiyi or ts'ík'. These names appear in traditional stories about forest resources and canoe construction. Early Alaska loggers called it tideland spruce because it grows right to the saltwater edge in many locations. The wood industry uses the designation Sitka spruce specifically to distinguish this premium species from other spruces like white spruce or Engelmann spruce found in Alaska's interior forests.

Alaska adopted the Sitka Spruce as its official state tree on February 28, 1962. The Alaska Legislature passed the designation three years after Alaska gained statehood in 1959. The selection reflected Alaska's desire to establish symbols that represented the new state's unique character. No public vote determined the choice—legislators selected Sitka spruce based on the tree's economic importance and prominence in Alaska's coastal forests. The timing came as Alaska worked to define its identity as America's 49th state.

Alaska picked Sitka spruce because it represented the backbone of the state's timber industry. Southeast Alaska's logging operations depended almost entirely on Sitka spruce and western hemlock, with spruce providing the highest-value timber. The species grows faster and larger in Alaska than anywhere else in its range. Alaska's cool, moist coastal climate produces Sitka spruce with exceptional wood qualities—tight grain, high strength, and excellent acoustic properties. These characteristics made Alaska spruce valuable for applications from construction lumber to musical instruments. The timber industry employed thousands of Southeast Alaskans through sawmills, logging camps, and pulp mills.

The tree's role in World War II influenced its cultural significance by 1962. During the war, Sitka spruce from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest built thousands of military aircraft. The wood's strength-to-weight ratio exceeded any available alternative for aircraft frames. Alaska spruce helped win the war, a fact that resonated with Alaskans who remembered that contribution. The tree also held deep importance for Alaska Native cultures. Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples carved Sitka spruce into totem poles, dugout canoes, and house posts for centuries. Choosing Sitka spruce honored both indigenous heritage and modern economic history while selecting a tree that grew nowhere else in America with such dominance.

Alaska's state flower is the Forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris), designated in 1949. The state adopted its floral symbol 13 years before selecting the Sitka spruce. Both the Sitka Spruce and Forget-me-not represent Alaska's native flora adapted to cool climates. The tiny blue forget-me-not carpets alpine meadows and tundra areas across Alaska each summer. Sitka spruce towers in coastal rainforests along the Pacific shore. These species occupy vastly different Alaska habitats—the spruce in sea-level forests receiving 200 inches of rain, the forget-me-not in windswept mountain meadows above tree line. Together they capture Alaska's ecological diversity from coastal temperate rainforest to Arctic tundra.

The bark provides consistent identification features throughout the year. Sitka spruce bark appears thin and scaly, flaking off in small irregular plates. The color shows gray to purplish-brown. Unlike the thick, deeply furrowed bark of many conifers, Sitka spruce maintains relatively thin bark even on ancient trees. This thin bark makes the species vulnerable to fire, though Alaska's wet coastal climate rarely produces forest fires. The bark often supports extensive moss and lichen growth in Alaska's humid environment, sometimes covering the trunk completely with green vegetation.

The needles offer definitive identification. Each needle grows individually from the twig rather than in bundles. The needles project from all sides of the twig, creating a bottlebrush appearance. Each needle measures half an inch to one inch long, bright green on one side with two prominent white stomatal bands underneath. The needles feel stiff and sharp—grasping a Sitka spruce branch produces a distinctly prickly sensation. This sharpness distinguishes Sitka spruce from hemlock, which shares Alaska forests but has softer, flatter needles. The needles remain on the tree for seven to ten years before dropping, maintaining dense year-round foliage.

The overall form shows a narrow conical crown tapering to a pointed top. Lower branches sweep downward and then curve upward at the tips, creating a layered appearance. Forest-grown trees develop long, straight trunks with minimal taper, highly valued for lumber. Trees growing along Alaska's exposed coastlines show flagged crowns where salt spray kills branches on the windward side, leaving growth only on the protected leeward side. This flagging creates one-sided crowns that indicate prevailing wind direction. Mature trees often show massive buttressed trunk bases spreading wide for stability in Alaska's soft, wet forest soils.

The Sitka Spruce embodies Alaska's coastal identity and connection to temperate rainforest ecosystems. Its towering height represents the grandeur of Alaska's wilderness and the ancient forests that defined Southeast Alaska before modern development. The tree's importance to both Native cultures and modern timber economy symbolizes continuity between traditional and contemporary Alaska. For many Alaskans, Sitka spruce forests represent the lush, green contrast to popular images of Alaska as frozen tundra. The species proves that Alaska contains surprising ecological diversity. Conservation debates over Tongass National Forest logging reflect ongoing tensions between timber harvest and wilderness preservation that shape modern Alaska politics and identity.