The Maritime Spruce-Fir Forest plant community occurs near the coast in Maine, like in Acadia National Park. Almost no original forests remain due to human use—the ones that exist today often occur where pastureland used to be. The climate that this community can be found in is frequently cool and foggy, and the terrain is flat or slightly sloped. There is a shallow layer of organic material over bedrock or till. This soil is sandy to loamy, acidic, and mesic (neither wet nor dry). Wind and storms coming off the ocean lead to frequent disturbance as trees get knocked down. Because of this, most trees in the community are fairly young.
Of course, spruces and Balsam Firs are the most dominant species in this plant community, followed by American Larch. Northern White Cedar and Eastern Hemlock are also popular. Canopy gaps give enough light for Red Maple, birch, Mountain Ash, and Balsam Fir saplings to emerge. Northern Bayberry may also be present. The herbaceous layer on the forest floor is somewhat sparse—except in canopy openings. With just a little light, raspberries, Wrinkle-leaved Goldenrod, asters, and Hay-scented Fern thrive. You may also see small amounts of mosses and liverworts on the forest floor.
Maritime Spruce-Fir Forests make perfect habitat for birds that specialize in coniferous forests. Some of these birds include Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cape May Warblers, Bay-breasted Warblers, Northern Parulas, Boreal Chickadees, and crossbills. Deer Mice, Red Squirrels, and Southern Red-backed Voles feast on the seeds provided from cones before caching them for winter. Porcupines eat the bark of coniferous trees when there is little else in winter. The evergreen leaves on these trees also provide thermal cover for White-tailed Deer and moose.
Plant Features
Red Spruce
One of the landmark species in the Maritime Spruce-Fir Forest, Red Spruce dominates the canopy alongside other spruce species. This tree is very shade tolerant, thriving as an understory tree when young and reaching 60-80 feet when mature. The branches arch upwards slightly, and the bark is made of grayish-brown flakes in chips rather than panels. In the cracks of this bark, there is a hint of red—that is where Red Spruce gets its name. To identify spruces from other conifers, look at the needles. Spruce needles grow all around the twig instead of just on the sides. Also, the individual needles are four-sided with pointed tips instead of flat. Spruces are square and spiky, instead of firs which are flat! Red Spruce needles are yellow-green and shiny, whereas other spruces have more blueish and dull needles. Also, the needles of Red Spruces have a pleasant citrusy scent when crushed, especially compared to White Spruce which has a very unpleasant smell.
Red Spruce trees have had many uses over the years. Indigenous peoples use them medicinally for throat and lung ailments and measles. They also use the roots to make laces or ropes, and the resin can be used to caulk canoes. Early settlers used the buds to flavor beers, and Indigenous peoples also introduced them to spruce chewing gum! The same resin used to seal bark injuries and caulk canoes can be heated to soften and filter out debris, and then cooled into small pieces for chewing. At the height of industry, there were 20 companies in Maine that were making and selling spruce chewing gum. It fell out of favor in the 20th century after companies adopted synthetic chewing gum bases instead. Today, Red Spruce is mostly used for lumber and pulp, although the wood also has good resonance to make musical instruments. It is also popular as a Christmas tree!
The seeds of Red Spruce are eaten by many bird species, including Black-throated Green Warblers and Pileated Woodpeckers. It has been found that these seeds comprise 25-50% of the diet of White-Winged Crossbills! Red Squirrels and Voles also like to eat and store the seeds, and Spruce Grouse will browse the buds and foliage. In the winter, porcupines eat the inner bark to sustain them throughout winter. The evergreen foliage also provides cover in winter for White-tailed Deer and moose.
American Larch
This is my absolute favorite tree. It is especially unique because it is the only native deciduous conifer in New England—that means that while it is a conifer with needles and cones, it loses its leaves in the fall! Before these needles fall, they turn a brilliant golden yellow, which is a truly spectacular sight. American Larches grow up to 80 feet tall and are often successional trees, especially after fires. They are extremely cold tolerant, surviving temperatures down to -80℉, and they grow all the way up to the arctic tree line at the edge of the tundra! In Maine, they prefer swamps and bogs with full sun. They need rich soils that are moist to wet. The bark is gray and plated with a reddish-brown layer underneath. When young, the bark is striped lengthwise along the branch. The needles are arranged in dense clusters tufted along the branch, and needles are a lovely blue-green color before turning yellow in the fall. The cones also have marvelous coloration, ranging from hot pink to deep red to warm brown.
There are different Larch species found all around the world, from North America to Europe to Asia. This tree gets its name from a town called Larignum. Caesar tried to lay siege to this town by burning it, but the stronghold made from Larch trees did not burn. Another name for the American Larch is Tamarack, derived from the Algonquin wood meaning “snowshoe wood.” Indeed, the wood is tough but flexible in thin strips, making it perfect for bending into snowshoes and also boats! Early settlers also used the rot-resistant wood for roads over swampy or muddy areas. Another fun modern use for American Larch is as a bonsai tree!
Similar to Red Spruce, the seeds of this tree are foraged by crossbills, grouse, and Red Squirrels. It provides great nesting sites for Song Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, Veerys, and warblers. Snowshoe Hares also nibble on the seedlings, and porcupines eat the inner bark in winter. This tree is also a host plant for the large and beautiful Columbia Silkmoth.
Northern Bayberry
Northern Bayberry is a classic coastal plant, but it is also at home in forests like the Maritime Spruce-Fir Forest. Because of its coastal habitat, it is very salt and drought resistant. It grows 5-10 feet tall in full to part sun on ledges and in canopy openings. The leaves of this shrub are waxy, slightly wavy, and aromatic, especially when scratched or crushed. The undersides of these leaves have dots of yellow resin. Northern Bayberry is dioecious, meaning it has both male and female individuals. Both males and females will grow yellowish-green catkins along their branches, but only the females will develop fruit. The berries are light gray with a waxy and aromatic coating.
European colonists named Northern Bayberry after their familiar Bay Laurel, which has similar looking berries. These settlers used the berries to make candles and soap. To do so, they boiled the berries and skimmed the wax off the top. Candles made from bayberries were traditionally burned on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve for good luck. The leaves can also be used as a substitute for bay leaves in soups and stews. Northern Bayberry makes a great roadside plant because it is tolerant to a number of things including salt, drought, wetness, wind, poor soil, and erosion.
Northern Bayberry has important wildlife value for many different species. Leafcutter bees use the leaves for nesting materials, and when growing en masse, they make excellent nesting sites for birds. These birds will also take advantage of the berries which persist long into winter. In addition, Northern Bayberry is a nitrogen fixer—it has a symbiotic relationship with Frankia bacteria, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable ammonia.
To bring a little piece of the Maritime Spruce-Fir Forest home, check out our online Native Plants Sale where you can find all three of these species!
To learn about other plant communities, check out our next feature in our Natural Communities Series: Sandplain Grasslands & Late Summer Bloom on August 19 at 5:30 pm. Late summer reveals one of Maine’s most unique and threatened ecosystems: sandplain grasslands. This webinar explores the ecology of these dry, disturbance-dependent systems, highlighting grasses, wildflowers, and the specialized wildlife adapted to nutrient-poor soils. Participants will learn how fire, mowing, and historical land use maintain these communities, and how late-season flowering supports pollinators at a critical time of year.
Online webinar on August 19 from 5:30-6:30 pm – register here!
