Pinaceae -- Pine family

    Dale Thornburgh

    Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana), named for its first collector,  is often considered "mysterious" because this attractive conifer  is found on seldom-visited high mountain ridges and steep north slopes.  Its other common name, weeping spruce, is derived from the distinctive  feature of many rope-like branchlets that hang in a fringe from all but  the topmost slender horizontal limbs. This branching habit results in many  knots in the wood, which has little commercial importance.