Brewer Spruce

The Picea Breweriana is commonly known as Brewer Spruce, as well as Weeping Spruce

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Growing Regions

Brewer spruce is endemic to the Klamath region of northwestern California and adjacent Oregon. It is distributed from from Del Norte, Trinity, and Siskiyou counties in California to Curry and Josephine counties in Oregon [11,14,18]. The best developed stands are located on high ridges and upper valleys of the Klamath, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers National Forests of California and in the Siskiyou and Rogue River National Forests of Oregon [11,18,20].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of Brewer spruce is Picea breweriana Wats. [14,18,19]. There are no recognized subspecies or varieties. Brewer spruce grows adjacent to Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), but no hybridization between the two has been observed [18].

Although Brewer spruce grows throughout the Klamath region, it usually
occurs in local, disjunct populations [17].  It is a minor component of
a variety of communities [24].  In some areas, Brewer spruce is a minor
climax species in stands dominated by California red fir (Abies
magnifica), white fir (A. concolor), or mountain hemlock (Tsuga
mertenmsiana) [3].  It occurs occasionally as a codominant in some
California red fir and western hemlock habitat types.  Near the Russian
Peak area of the Marble Mountains of California, Brewer spruce is a
major component of the California red fir/northern twinflower (Linnaea
borealis) and California ref fir/huckleberry oak (Quercus vaccinifolia)
types [17].  This species also occurs in small dense stands on mostly
north-facing slopes, as individuals invading seral pine stands and
montane chaparral, and as scattered individuals in closed white fir
forests [17].  Brewer spruce is often an indicator of cold and wet
environments [2].

Brewer spruce is listed as a dominant or codominant overstory species in
the following published classification:
  
Preliminary plant associations of the Siskiyou Mountain Province [3].

• More Brewer Spruce Information

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