Common Spruce Picea abies
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Abies picea
- Pinus abies
- Phonetic Spelling
- PI-see-a A-beez
- Description
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The Norway spruce is a rapidly growing woody, needled evergreen tree in the pine family (Pinaceae). It is native to Europe. It is the typical Christmas tree in Great Britain and has also served as the United States Capitol Christmas tree several times. There are over 150 cultivars available. The genus name, Picea, is thought to be derived from the Latin word, pix, which means "pitch" and refers to the sticky resin that is found on the tree's bark. The specific epithet, abies, refers to a similar genus, Abies or fir.
When considering the Norway spruce, it is important to note that it does poorly in zone 7 in the southern United States because it prefers cool summer climates. It is best suited for a northern climate. This tree has a shallow root system, and it prefers full sun and moderately moist, well-drained, sandy, acidic soils. Norway spruce dislikes heat, wet feet, and hot, dry summers. Propagate it by seed.
In the appropriate climate, the majestic Norway spruce could be used in a large home landscape, woodland, meadow, or recreational play area. It can serve as a windbreak or screen in colder climates. Dwarf cultivars may be acquired to serve as foundation plantings, specimens, or accents in smaller areas of the home landscape.
Quick ID Hints:
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It is a 40 to 60 feet tall needled evergreen, conical with upright branches when young and pendulous branches as it matures.
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Needles are up to 1-inch long, green, four-sided, saber-like, and arranged on the branch in rows.
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Cones are pendulous, green to violet when young, and as it ripens they turn silvery-brown and measure 4 to 6 inches long with rounded scales.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: Potential insect pests include aphids, bagworms, budworms, borers, and red spider mites. It is also susceptible to cytospora canker, wood decay, needle cast, and rust.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
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- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Woods
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Acrocona'
broad spreading pyramidal habit, 20 feet tall, and bright red female cones - 'Aurea'
- 'Berry Gardens'
dwarf, weeping - 'Conica'
- 'Conica sport'
- 'Cranstonii'
- 'Cupressina'
upright, narrow, 25 to 30 feet tall, and 6 feet wide - 'Doversi pendula'
- 'Fluke'
- 'Frohburg'
- 'Hillside Upright'
20 to 30 feet tall, conical and upright branches - 'Inversa'
irregular growth
'Maxwellii'
- 'Pendula'
12 to 15 feet tall and wide, narrow tree with weeping habit
'Pumila'
- var. abies
Openly branched with long thick branches
Low growing, flat-topped irregular globe outlined with short stout branches 'Nidiformis'
dwarf, green to bluish green needles, and contains a depression (nest) in the middle of its tight, compact, mounded habit
dwarf, 3 to 4 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet wide, rounded form 'Pumila Glauca'
The branches are symmetrical with white stomata that open and close to allow the intake of carbon dioxide - 'Acrocona'
- 'Acrocona', 'Aurea', 'Berry Gardens', 'Conica', 'Conica sport', 'Cranstonii', 'Cupressina', 'Doversi pendula', 'Fluke', 'Frohburg', 'Hillside Upright', 'Inversa', 'Maxwellii', 'Nidiformis', 'Pendula', 'Pumila', 'Pumila Glauca', var. abies
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Acrocona'
broad spreading pyramidal habit, 20 feet tall, and bright red female cones - 'Aurea'
- 'Berry Gardens'
dwarf, weeping - 'Conica'
- 'Conica sport'
- 'Cranstonii'
- 'Cupressina'
upright, narrow, 25 to 30 feet tall, and 6 feet wide - 'Doversi pendula'
- 'Fluke'
- 'Frohburg'
- 'Hillside Upright'
20 to 30 feet tall, conical and upright branches - 'Inversa'
irregular growth
'Maxwellii'
- 'Pendula'
12 to 15 feet tall and wide, narrow tree with weeping habit
'Pumila'
- var. abies
Openly branched with long thick branches
Low growing, flat-topped irregular globe outlined with short stout branches 'Nidiformis'
dwarf, green to bluish green needles, and contains a depression (nest) in the middle of its tight, compact, mounded habit
dwarf, 3 to 4 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet wide, rounded form 'Pumila Glauca'
The branches are symmetrical with white stomata that open and close to allow the intake of carbon dioxide - 'Acrocona'
- 'Acrocona', 'Aurea', 'Berry Gardens', 'Conica', 'Conica sport', 'Cranstonii', 'Cupressina', 'Doversi pendula', 'Fluke', 'Frohburg', 'Hillside Upright', 'Inversa', 'Maxwellii', 'Nidiformis', 'Pendula', 'Pumila', 'Pumila Glauca', var. abies
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Picea
- Species:
- abies
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The tree is used for timber in Europe. It is commonly used as a Christmas tree in Great Britain. Herbal teas are made from leafy twigs. It is the most widely used spruce in North America for horticultural purposes.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe
- Distribution:
- Native: Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Northern European Russian, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Korea, Netherlands, New Brunswick, New South Wales, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Southern European Russia, Spain, and the United States--CT, IL, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV, and WI.
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds, moths, and small mammals are attracted to this tree.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- air pollution, deer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Conical
- Dense
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The cones are greenish to violet when young, and as they mature they become silvery-brown. They are 4 to 6 inches long and 1 to 2 inches in diameter with rounded scales. The scales have a blunt point and rounded tips. The thin scales are irregularly toothed and cylindrical. The cones are pendulous. The seeds are black and up to 0.2 inches long with a pale brown wing.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- The male cones are yellowish-brown and appear in clusters along the stems. The female cones are purple and upright. When the female cones are pollinated (by wind-borne pollen), they turn green and hang downward as the cone matures.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Filiform
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves or needles are long, alternate, glossy, dense, radial, saber-shaped, stiff, pectinate with those on the upper side of twigs pointed forward, overlapping those below spreading to the right angles from exposed twigs, incurved apically, have lateral sides with 2-3 stomatal bands, are dark green, and up to 1-inch long. The four-sided needles are arranged in rows on the branch like a hairbrush and are attached by tiny pegs at their base.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Green
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- The bark is purplish, green, or silvery-brown. The young bark is thin, and the tree matures the bark thickens and has flaky scales.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Orange
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The twigs are orangish-brown and then turn grayish-brown. The primary branches are mostly upturned, but the secondary branches rarely appear pendulous as the tree matures. The needles are spirally arranged along the branches in rows. The buds have loose, orangish-brown scales.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Pollution
