Citric Spruce. It is the most common fruit tree in Britain. But why is this North American Pacific native so widespread in Europe? In this article, we will look at where Sitka came from, why it was widely accepted, and what the future holds.
Origins and Statistics
Citka Spruce is named after the Sitka community in southeastern Alaska. The region includes the western coasts of Canada and the United States, from Oregon to northern California. After a while, Sitka can grow especially large – the fifth longest soup in the world.
Important stats
- It is about 100 meters tall and can live up to 700 years
- It grows well in moist and poorly-moist soils
- Rainfall up to 5m per year can be tolerated by native region
- It grows to a maximum height of 2,500 m
- Shade tolerant but prefers full sun
- A shallow root system makes it vulnerable to high winds
- The thin shell makes it vulnerable to fire
One of Citka’s most important features is its ability to thrive in a beach climate. Many trees do not like salty winds, but citrus usually does not hurt. It is also a good pioneer breed, with seeds roaming and rolling hills and even into sand dunes (not always good!).
Restoration of sand dunes
Uses
The bark of citrus spruce trees is used in Alaska native basket-weaving designs and for rain hats. Asphalt was used for chewing, chewing, and medicine. Native American by heating and assembling the roots to make a rope. The glue is used as a glue and waterproof. However, outside the country of origin, citric acid is mostly used for wood.
The wood itself is light and relatively strong. Where Sita is slow, it can produce close-knit upright wood with a strong ratio of strength to weight, suitable for special applications such as guitar, violin and piano. These same characteristics make it an essential material for boat sprints and previously used for wing wing construction. The Wright Brothers’ Flyer was built in Citka Spruce, and there were many aircraft up to World War II. It was not until the 1950’s that the success of some aircraft in the production of expensive aluminum, including the famous mosquito net bomb, was replaced.
As Sitca grows rapidly, the benefits to these specialists are slim. But this makes it suitable for more general uses such as construction and packaging. From studio work and in-house roof beams to fencing poles, pallets and cardboard, Sitka provides materials for many everyday products. The light color also makes it good for paper production. Because of the relatively hot and humid climate in Britain, most of Sita’s growing up here goes into these applications.
Why here?
Citca lived here longer than expected and was introduced to England in 1831 by explorer and botanist David Douglas, whose name lives in the Douglas Fer. Rapid growth on poor soils can accelerate, especially in most parts of Scotland. Under ideal conditions, young trees can grow up to 4 feet in height per year. Tolerance of salty oceans has found a home in many parts of the coast. In areas such as Dumfris and Galloway, it easily breeds competing species such as pine, juniper, and other spruce, which are highly salty winds.
So, for the short answer why Sitka is here, the climate and soil in the West are particularly well developed in Scotland, where it is similar to its homeland. The most productive species in continental Europe is the Norwegian spruce, and the forest cover there is constantly growing. But in the UK, low forest cover has created an urgent need to rehabilitate forests, and Sitka has been selected from Norway because of its developmental characteristics and disease resistance. The distribution is related to the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Forest Development Commission (FCC).
FC was founded in 1919 after the Great War. During the war, Britain’s reliance on imported timber, housing shortages, and the lack of suitable timber plots in most parts of the country became a strategic issue. FC was created to ensure that timber supply was established quickly and sustainably to prevent further trade crises. Sitka was therefore a clear choice for many areas. The wood used has been used for construction, from paper to paper, and has gone from strength to strength over the past century. Today, Citka spruce accounts for more than 50% of the productive forest production in Britain.
Quality
There are three factors that determine the level of wood: strength, toughness and durability. Once rated by sight or machine, wood is rated. Typically in Britain, this is C16 or C24, the higher the number the better the quality.
Most of the spruce in Britain is rated C16. This is suitable for most blending applications, although larger lengths require higher levels such as C24. Our UK-grown spruce is stronger than the C16 standard but not rigid. This is largely due to the rapidly growing nature of Citka in Britain.
Over time, we produced citrons so that our trees could grow taller, faster, and stronger. Now, along with forest research, we are looking for natural examples of high-strength citric trees. If we can do this, we will begin to incorporate this feature into the Sita community in the future. This will help the British timber and construction industry get more ready and quality wood. Since 80% of the wood comes from overseas, further improving Sitka quality will reduce our dependence on offshore products.
in the future
Citca is not native to Scotland, but is adapted to soil and climatic conditions. Moreover, if we recognize that sustainable wood and its components are one of the best sources of carbohydrates for our modern life, we must acknowledge the importance of trees such as citric acid. Although it is replanting our forests to prevent pests and diseases and creating more habitats, Sitka continues to grow in the Scottish forests.
