Sitka spruce

noun

Sit·​ka spruce ˈsit-kə- How to pronounce Sitka spruce (audio)
: a tall spruce (Picea sitchensis) of the northern Pacific coast of North America that has thin reddish-brown bark, flat needles, and cones with slightly toothed scales see cone illustration

Examples of Sitka spruce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web New furniture includes handmade Sitka spruce tables and desks. Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2023 After Sean Ovens, a police officer in Tacoma, Washington, died of suicide last summer, his mother, Roberta Vollendorff, had his remains composted and used the soil around a Sitka spruce tree on her property. The Week Staff, The Week, 15 Apr. 2023 The main culprit is Sitka spruce, which crowd and slowly kill Scots pine—a risk that increases year-on-year, with mature conifers an acute threat to Scots pine and other native trees. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 13 Feb. 2023 Young cottonwood and Sitka spruce began taking hold on the wider floodplain. Lesley Evans Ogden, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023 Alaska The Sitka spruce is Alaska's state tree, often found in southeastern and central Alaska. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2023 There are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had as well, like the stunning views from Astoria Column or the hike to a breathtaking 300-year-old Sitka spruce, called Cathedral Tree. oregonlive, 1 Mar. 2023 Non-native trees, primarily Sitka spruce, were recorded in 32% of Caledonian pinewood and considered abundant in 7%. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 13 Feb. 2023 Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, said the effort would protect cedar, hemlock and Sitka spruce trees — many of them more than 800 years old — that provide essential habitats for 400 species of wildlife, including bald eagles, salmon and the world’s greatest concentration of black bears. Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2023 See More

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Word History

Etymology

Sitka, Alaska

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Sitka spruce was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near Sitka spruce

Cite this Entry

“Sitka spruce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sitka%20spruce. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

Sitka spruce

noun
Sit·​ka spruce ˌsit-kə- How to pronounce Sitka spruce (audio)
: a tall spruce of the northern Pacific coast of North America with thin reddish brown bark and flat needles
also : its wood
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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