Other Common Names/Trade Names: Red Spruce, black spruce, white spruce, Engelmann spruce
Scientific Name: Picea rubens, Picea mariana, Picea glauca
Best Characteristics for Identification: Small, sparse, white resin canals. Otherwise lacking any standout characteristics.
Uses: Framing lumber, pulp, musical instruments
General Natural Range: Red Spruce: An eastern species extending from the Canadian Maritimes south through New England and New York. It is found as far south as North Carolina along the Appalachian Mountains. Black and white spruce: Northern Transcontinental species extending along the northern tree line in Alaska east to Newfoundland. South into New England, New York, and the Lake States.
Identical or Nearly Identical Species: Engelmann spruce, Norway spruce 
Other Species Easily Confused With: All true firs, hemlocks, and Sitka spruce
Means of Distinguishing Similar Species: Eastern spruces have resin canals, the true firs and the hemlocks do not. Sitka spruce sometimes has a pinkish tinge to it  and medium texture whereas the eastern spruces do not have a pink tinge to them and they have a fine texture.