Black Spruce

Black Spruce (P. sitchensis pictured)

Common Name(s): Black Spruce

Scientific Name: Picea mariana

Distribution: Northern North America

Tree Size: 30-50 ft (10-15 m) tall, 1-1.5 ft (.3-.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 30 lbs/ft³ (480 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .38

Hardness: 520 lb_f (2,320 N)

Bending Strength: 10,800 lb_f/in² (74,480 kPa)

Elasticity: 1,610,000 lb_f/in² (11,100 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.1%, Tangential: 6.8%, Volumetric: 11.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

Color/Appearance: Black Spruce is typically a creamy white, with a hint of yellow.

Grain/Pore: Black Spruce has a fine, even texture, and a consistently straight grain.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as being slightly resistant to non-resistant to decay.

Workability: Easy to work, as long as there are no knots present. Glues and finishes well, though it can give poor (blotchy and inconsistent) results when being stained due to its closed pore structure. A sanding sealer, gel stain, or toner is recommended when coloring Spruce.

Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Spruce in the Picea genus has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include skin irritation and/or respiratory disorders. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price Range: Construction grade spruce is cheap and easy to find. However, quartersawn clear pieces—free from knots—can be more expensive. Quartersawn billets of instrument-grade Black Spruce can easily exceed the cost of most all domestic hardwoods in terms of per board-foot cost.

Comments: Common uses for Black Spruce include: pulpwood, papermaking, construction lumber, millwork, and crates.

Black Spruce compares very similarly with Sitka Spruce in terms of mechanical properties, and is on average slightly heavier and stronger than Sitka Spruce. However, Black Spruce is a much smaller and narrower tree, and is not available in the same widths as Sitka Spruce.

Related Species:

Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

Red Spruce (Picea rubens)

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Scans/Pictures: There are currently no pictures of this exact wood species, but a similar species within the Picea genus is being substituted (P. sitchensis). If you’d like to contribute a wood sample of this specific species to be scanned, (even small pieces of veneer can be sent), please use the contact form.

Sitka Spruce (sanded)