Stats

Lifespan

150-600 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Coniferous forest

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Common

About

This evergreen conifer grows along high mountain slopes in the Rocky Mountains. Its sharp needles are coated in a thick, waxy blue powder that reflects intense ultraviolet light.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Pinopsida

Order

Pinales

Family

Pinaceae

Genus

Picea

Species

Picea pungens