The Utah State Tree is the blue spruce, a medium to large evergreen tree with stiff, needle-like leaves and cylindrical cones. It is abundant in mountainous regions of the western United States and eastern Canada, and is used for ornamental purposes and as a Christmas tree. The wood is suitable for fuel and lumber, but is not widely used due to inaccessibility.
Utah’s state tree is the spruce, also commonly referred to as Picea pungens. The spruce is an evergreen tree with a pyramidal shape with stiff, needle-like leaves. The tree also produces cylindrical cones which ripen in the fall. While sizes vary, spruce is usually a medium to large tree with thick, layered branches. This species of tree is widely distributed in the mountainous regions of the United States and in the south-central area of eastern Canada.
Medium to large in size, the Utah State Tree has a conical crown that becomes more cylindrical with age. The bark is usually gray-brown or red-brown and scaly during the young years. As the tree matures, it develops furrows. The twigs of the blue spruce are hairless, thick, and typically red-brown in color. This species of tree is relatively long-lived and often reaches 700-800 years of age.
The pointed, needle-like leaves of the blue fir are long and thick with several rows of stomata. The color of the needles is variable and can range from a soft gray-green to a pale blue-green. Blue spruce also produces pendulous, cylindrical cones that can reach up to 4 inches (about 10 centimeters) long. Young cones are reddish-brown while mature cones are light brown.
Spruce is abundant in the mountainous western states of the United States, especially Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. The Utah state tree is also found in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as the northeastern region of the United States. Additionally, spruce is found in areas of eastern Canada, such as Nova Scotia and Ontario. The tree grows at high elevations and is typically seen along mountain valley streams.
An ornamental tree, the blue fir is the official state tree of both Utah and Colorado and is grown extensively and used for the Christmas tree industry. It is often a desirable choice for an ornamental Christmas tree because it requires very little trimming and has an attractive, natural appearance. The Utah State Tree is also commonly planted as an ornamental tree in parks, gardens and nature preserves.
While the wood of the spruce is suitable for fuel and the lumber industry, it is not used much due to the species being typically found in inaccessible locations. In the wild, spruce provides seeds and shelter for rodents and some bird species. In limited areas of the western United States, the tree is also used in seatbelt plantings, which help protect the soil from deterioration.
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