Spruce formerly had a distribution area that included almost all of Europe. Gradually, with the intensification of human economic activity, spruce forests began to shrink, and today this species of spruce in central Europe has survived only in the Alps, the mountainous regions of the Czech Republic and in southern Poland.
In Northern Europe, the range of spruce includes most of Sweden, almost all of Finland and a significant part of Norway. In the expanses of the former USSR, it is found in the B altic states, in most of Belarus, and in Russia it occupies a forest zone, limited by the steppe from the south, and tundra from the north. Norway spruce often grows next to trees of other species, forming mixed coniferous-deciduous forests.
This is a shade tree. The forest, where old tall spruces mainly grow, makes a depressing impression. It is not for nothing that a saying was invented: to have fun in a birch forest, to pray to God in a pine forest, to strangle yourself with longing in a spruce forest. Perhaps the person who invented it exaggerated, but not by much.
Common spruce reaches a heightfifty meters. The crown has a characteristic "triangular" shape. The needles have a tetrahedral section and a length of up to two and a half centimeters. Spruce cones grow up to fifteen centimeters long with a diameter of four centimeters. The range of age at which seeds begin to ripen on spruce trees is quite large. In specimens growing in different conditions, the seeding time comes at the age of twenty to sixty years. Seed production occurs once every four or five years.
There are a lot of trees that are used in the landscape design of the site. But, perhaps, one of the first places is rightfully occupied by common spruce. A photo against the background of a Christmas tree (especially for the New Year) - what could be better?!
Spruce is widely used in landscape design. A large number of various varieties have been bred for every taste. Not only we althy people can afford to plant it on their plot, but also those whose income is low.
Spruce common nidiformis occupies a special place among the "landscape" firs. First of all - its unusual appearance. Nidiformis grows very slowly, for a year - by three to four centimeters, no more. By the age of forty, her growth reaches a maximum value - 130 centimeters. At the same time, the crown of nidiformis with such dwarf growth occupies an area of up to two meters. A kind of prickly green flattened charming ball.
And her tall sister, Norway spruce, performs not only decorative functions. She is wideused in industry for the manufacture of a wide variety of things. Telegraph poles, sleepers, tare board. But that's not all, spruce is suitable for making musical instruments, paper.
Tannins are extracted from spruce bark, and cones are needed to create a number of medicines. A decoction of cones is quite successfully treated for respiratory diseases, in particular, asthma. Spruce buds have also been used (also used for medical purposes).
