Black spruce is also known as bog spruce or swamp spruce. It grows well in wet, acidic, and poor-quality soils that are common in bogs and other wetlands in northern Manitoba. Black spruce is a dense evergreen but slighter in shape than its cousin white spruce. Some trees in bogs spread by layering: the lowest branches become embedded in moss, and sprout. Sooner or later, a ring of trees forms and will continue to grow even after the original central trunk has died. The black spruce cone is egg shaped and a dark purplish-brown. The cone will remain on the tree for several years and seeds will release slowly, unless after a fire, which speeds up the release of seeds. Black spruce is a resilient tree! (Tabitha Martens for Winnipeg Trails, 2021).
Black spruce saplings, logs, and boughs are very useful though the wood is not strong. In Manitoba, black spruce is an important tree for many Indigenous communities. For example, black spruce can be used for creating frames that stretch hides, as the frames and ribs of canoes, for snowshoes, and to make meat drying racks and shelters. Black spruce needles are also nutritious. They contain protein and are high in vitamin C. Their oils are also antibacterial. Spruce buds make a tasty tea, though it is always a good idea to make sure you know exactly what plant you are harvesting from and to only use evergreen teas in moderation. Black spruce bark can be used for creating dyes. The resin or pitch of black spruce can be eaten like gum and is also used as medicine. The sap is very sticky and helps protect the tree from mold and insect attacks. (Tabitha Martens for Winnipeg Trails, 2021).
Antiseptic medicine made out of the inner bark was used in for cuts (Poplar River Anishinaabe Plant Guide. Berens E., Bruce E., Bruce V., Mason M. 2022. Pg 28).