Complete the worksheet! Family: Pine (Pinaceae) Height: 40-60' Tree: single straight trunk, many horizontal branches sometimes sloping down, ragged conical crown Needle: single needle, 1/3 - 3/4" long, stiff, pointed, square in cross section, aromatic when crushed, bluish green with a line of white dots on all sides Bark: light gray in color, many flaky scales, inner bark is salmon pink Cone: green, turning brown at maturity, smooth to the touch, 1-2½" long, single or in clusters, hanging from the branch Origin/Age: native, 175-200 years Habitat: variety of soils, usually not as wet as Black Spruce soils, often growing on banks of lakes and streams, sometimes in pure stands Range: northern half of the state Interesting Facts: Red squirrels often feed on white spruce seeds. Needles have a whitish cast, giving this tree its common name. Like all other species of spruce, White Spruce needles are square in cross section. Needles frequently last 7-10 years before falling off, leaving a raised base on the twig. Susceptible to fire and Spruce Budworm, a caterpillar that eats new needles. Lower branches die and fall off, leaving the trunk straight and lacking branches. A variety, Black Hills White Spruce (P. glauca densata), is a widely planted urban tree. Explore the tree species of Central Park!