Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Along the coast, from sea level up to about 2,000 feet in moist valleys.
Cones: May-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind
A large tree up to 70 m. tall, the bole up to 5 m. in diameter.
Bark very thin, gray-brown to grayish-purple, deciduous in small scales; twigs glabrous.
Needles light green to bluish-green, stiff and sharp, spreading in all directions from the branch, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, flattened, with 2 broad white bands on the upper surface and 2 narrow bands on the lower surface, attached to a raised base.
Staminate cones pendant, red, 10-15 mm. long; ovulate cones 6-9 cm. long, reddish-brown to yellowish-brown, the scales rounded, finely denticulate, rather stiff, the bracts lanceolate, much shorter than the scales and concealed; ovulate cones deciduous as a whole after one season.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Picea sitchensis in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Picea sitchensis checklist entry
OregonFlora: Picea sitchensis information
E-Flora BC: Picea sitchensis atlas page
CalPhotos: Picea sitchensis photos