Edible Parts: Flowers  Inner bark  Seed  Seedpod  Shoots
Edible Uses: Condiment  Gum  Tea

Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[172]. Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[172]. The cones are about 5cm long[82]. Inner bark - raw or cooked[257]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[172]. Usually harvested in the spring[257], it is an emergency food that is only used when all else fails. Seed - raw[172]. The seed is about 2 - 4mm long[229] and is too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[172]. A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[172]. The trunk yields a gum, used for chewing[183, 257]. Spruce oil, distilled from the leaves and twigs, is used in the food industry to flavour chewing gum, ice cream, soft drinks and sweets[183].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antiseptic  Digestive  Diuretic  Laxative  Pectoral  Poultice  Salve  Skin  
TB  Urinary  Vitamin C

White spruce was widely employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes, who valued it especially for treating chest complaints[257]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. An infusion of the cones has been used in the treatment of urinary troubles[257]. The inner bark is pectoral[257]. It has been chewed, and an infusion drunk, in the treatment of TB, influenza, coughs and colds[257]. An infusion is also drunk in the treatment of rheumatism[257]. The inner bark has also been used as a poultice on sores and infected areas, and has also been used to bandage cuts[257]. The tea made from the young shoot tips has antiseptic properties[226]. It is used in the treatment of respiratory infections[257]. A decoction of the stems is used as a herbal steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism[257]. The gum is antiseptic, digestive, laxative, pectoral and salve[257]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of respiratory complaints[257]. The gum obtained from the trunk (probably pitch[K]) has been used as a salve on sores and cuts[257]. A poultice of the gum mixed with oil has been used to treat skin rashes, scabies, persistent scabs, growing boils etc, and has also been used on wounds where there is blood poisoning[257]. The rotten, dried, finely powdered wood has been used as a baby powder and as a treatment for skin rashes[257].

Baby care  Dye  Gum  Musical  Pitch  Repellent  Shelterbelt  String  Tannin  Waterproofing  Wood

A fairly wind resistant tree, it can be grown as part of a shelterbelt planting[200]. The cultivar 'Denstat' has been recommended[200]. The leaves have been burnt to repel insects[257]. Various native North American Indian tribes made a string from the long roots of this species and used it to stitch the bark of their canoes and to make baskets etc[226, 257]. The rotten, dried, finely powdered wood has been used as a baby powder and as a treatment for skin rashes[257]. The bark is a source of tannin[226]. A yellow-brown dye can be obtained from the rotten wood[257]. The pitch obtained from the trunk can be used as a waterproofing sealant in canoes[257]. Wood - straight-grained, resilient, light, soft, not strong. Used for construction and as a source of pulp for paper making[46, 61, 171, 229]. The resonance of the wood, and its capacity to transmit vibrations, make it an ideal wood for guitars, violins, piano soundboards etc[226].

Special Uses

Scented Plants