The easiest way to tell these spruce apart is by looking at the differences in the shades of green of their needles.

Black Spruce - The black spruce's other names include bog spruce and swamp spruce, probably because they grown best in swampy areas. This tree can get as tall as 100 feet, with very short, deep green needles and very dark bark. The roots were once used by Native Americans for seaming objects like canoes and containers, and even now the shoots, inner bark and pitch can be used for food in emergencies.

White Spruce - This tree can also be called the cat spruce. Its medium-sized needles are turquoise, its bark a light grey shade. The white spruce can reach heights of up to 123 feet, although its average size is 66 to 82 feet. White spruce is an excellent wood for making paper, and large amounts are cut every year for that purpose.