Minecraft wiki entry for Best_biomes_for_homes, associated text: The trees give spruce wood. Since it's possible you may have started out somewhere with oak trees, keep in mind your inventory might become cluttered if you collect different types of wood and their plank variants.
To cut down these trees, cut into it in a spiral pattern, making a thin spiral staircase all the way to the top. Then destroy the stairs as you go back down
On the first day, you only really need to cut down the first five or so layers of a single giant spruce.