Fichte#

Spruce (picea), hardy coniferous trees growing on plateaus and in mountainous regions (up to 2,000 m). Spruce trees produce a light soft wood, which is easily processed but sturdy, thus favoured by the construction and paper industries. The spruce has been the most important forest tree species in many regions of Austria since the 16th century; it has been increasingly planted in monocultures in manorial forests and on woodland owned by farmers since the 19th century.