Spruce
Spruce belong to the Picea genus, a member of the Pine family, which contains roughly 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees found stretching down the planet from the circumboreal forests to the northern temperate regions of the planet.
In Michigan we find 4 main types of spruce- two native varieties: White and Black Spruce, and 2 introduced varieties: Blue Spruce and Norway Spruce, the former introduced from the rocky mountain region, while the latter has been introduced from Europe and is used extensively in landscaping for its elegant draping boughs.
The essential oil derived from the leaves of White Spruce (Picea glauca) is composed mainly of beta-pinene and camphor, with lower amounts of alpha-pinene and bornyl acetate. The hydrosol lacks the large concentration of pinenes, and instead is mostly composed of camphor and borneol.
Despite their close relation, Black Spruce oil and hydrosol differ from White Spruce: Black spruce oil is composed mainly of bornyl acetate, with lesser amounts of alpha-pinene and camphene. The hydrosol is mainly composed of oc-terpineol and borneol.
Medicinally their virtues are analgesic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic , and astringent. Spruce is energetically grounding and uplifting- what could be more grounding than a tree that weathers the harshest conditions of this ecosystem with such grace.
We use Blue, Black, White and Norway Spruce in a range of products. The following products feature a variety of spruce as a key ingredient:
Forest Nymph Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Forest Essence: Boreal Botanical Balm
References:
François-Xavier Garneau, Guy Collin, Hélène Gagnon & André Pichette (2012) Chemical Composition of the Hydrosol and the Essential Oil of Three Different Species of the Pinaceae Family : Picea glauca (Moench) Voss., Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P., and Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 15:2, 227-236, DOI: 10.1080/0972060X.2012.10644040
Wajs-Bonikowska A, Szoka Ł, Karna E, Wiktorowska-Owczarek A, Sienkiewicz M. Composition and Biological Activity of Picea pungens and Picea orientalis Seed and Cone Essential Oils. Chem Biodivers. 2017 Mar;14(3). doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201600264. Epub 2017 Feb 22. PMID: 27735132.
Kartnig T, Still F, Reinthaler F. Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of young pine shoots (Picea abies L.). J Ethnopharmacol. 1991 Dec;35(2):155-7. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(91)90067-n. PMID: 1809821.
Francezon, N., and Stevanovic, T. (2017). "Chemical composition of essential oil and hydrosol from Picea mariana bark residue," BioRes. 12(2), 2635-2645.