Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss.

Western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, India to central Nepal.

It grows at altitudes of 2,400-3,600 m in forests together with deodar cedar, blue pine and pindrow fir.

Picea smithiana is a large tree, an evergreen growing to 40–55 meters tall (exceptionally to 60 m), and with a trunk diameter of up to 1–2 m. It has a conical crown with level branches and usually pendulous branchlets.he shoots are pale buff-brown, and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, the longest of any spruce, 3–5 cm long, rhombic in cross-section, mid-green with inconspicuous stomatal lines. The cones are broad cylindric-conic, 9–16 cm long and 3 cm broad, green when young, maturing buff-brown and opening to 5–6 cm broad 5–7 months after pollination; the scales are stiff and smoothly rounded.

• It is a versatile tree with uses ranging from timber and paper production to medicinal applications and ornamental purposes. Its wood is valued for construction, furniture, and pulp, while its bark and resin have traditional medicinal uses.