Red Spruce Picea rubens
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PY-see-uh ROO-benz
- Description
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The red spruce can be commonly found along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the highest peaks of North Carolina and Virginia and increasing in numbers into Maine. It is often found growing with Fraiser Fir trees at higher elevations. It is a cool region tree that requires full sun, ample moisture, and acidic, well-drained soil, even being able to grow on rocky soil. It forms a broader crown than other eastern spruces, still maintaining a narrowly conical form, and its needles are a brighter yellow-green. Its trunk has a diameter of 1 to 2 ft. and it may grow to 150 feet tall in areas where humidity and rainfall are abundant.
The wood is commonly used for the production of musical instruments such as guitars, organ pipes, piano sounding boards, and violins, as its uniform texture, high elasticity, and defect free form meet the high standards for this production.
The sawdust, resin from the trunk and the needles can cause dermatitis in some. It dislikes summer heat. It is sensitive to air pollution which may be contributing to its declining numbers in the wild.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Picea
- Species:
- rubens
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Wood used for construction of musical instruments; used to be used to construct airplanes
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America
- Fire Risk Rating:
- extreme flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Nesting site for birds, Twigs, leaves, and seeds are eaten by wildlife
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Oval
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Green to purple cones, mature to a reddish brown lustre. 1.25 to 2 in. long with smooth-edged scales. They fall off shortly after ripening. Displays in October.
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Flowers:
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- No flowers
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- 4 sided dark yellow-green needles that are 1/2 to 5/8 in. long. They are pointed and shiny.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- Dark gray-brown to reddish-brown broken into irregular scales. The inner bark that shows between the scales is often reddish.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stout yellow-brown stems.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
