General appearance:

The Sitka Spruce is the largest of the Spruces and can grow up to 180 feet tall. The diameter ranges from 3 to 5 feet and frequently has buttresses at the base. The wood of the Sitka Spruce has a variety of uses including being used to build aeoroplanes (during WWII), food containers and instruments. The needles are yellowish-green with stomatal bloom on one side. They are prickly to the touch and can easily be remembered by the phrase "sharp spikey spruce."

When the needles of the Sitka Spruce are removed from the twig, peg-like projections remain on the twig.

The cone of the Sitka Spruce, unlike the needles, is rather soft. The scales are thin and paper-like.