Uses
Sitka spruce is of major importance in forestry for timber and paper production. Outside of its native range, it is particularly valued for its fast growth on poor soils and exposed sites where few other trees can be grown successfully; in ideal conditions young trees may grow 1.5 m per year. It is naturalized in some parts of Ireland and Great Britain where it was introduced in 1831 (Mitchell, 1978) and New Zealand, though not so extensively as to be considered invasive. Sitka spruce is also planted extensively in Denmark, Norway and Iceland. In Norway, Sitka spruce was introduced in the early 1900s. An estimated 50,000 hectares have been planted in Norway, mainly along the coast from Vest-Agder in the south to Troms in the north. It is more tolerant to wind and saline ocean air, and grows faster than the native Norway spruce.
Sitka spruce is used widely in piano, harp, violin, and guitar manufacture, as its high strength-to-weight ratio and regular, knot-free rings make it an excellent conductor of sound. For these reasons, the wood is also an important material for sailing boat spars, aircraft wing spars (including flying models), and the nosecones of Trident missiles. The Wright brothers' Flyer was built using Sitka spruce, as were many or most aircraft before World War II; during that war, aircraft such as the British Mosquito used it as a substitute for strategically important aluminium.
Newly grown tips of Sitka spruce branches are used to flavour spruce beer and are boiled to make syrup.
The root bark of Sitka spruce trees is used in Native Alaskan basket-weaving designs.
Read more about this topic: Picea Sitchensis