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Picea smithiana

Phonetic Spelling
PY-see-uh smith-ee-an-uh
Description

The Himalayan Spruce is grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun.  Its best performance is in climates with somewhat cool summers. Plants may struggle in locations that experience high heat and humidity.

This plant is a tall, pyramidal, needled conifer with horizontal branching and drooping branchlets.  It's needle-like green leaves surround the branches and are four-angled in cross-section. The tree bark is a scaly gray. Its shiny, brownish-purple, female cones are pendulous (loosely hanging).  It has the longest needles of any spruce.

Although there are no serious insect or disease problems, spruces are generally susceptible to needle and stem rust, canker, trunk and root rot. Yellow-headed spruce sawfly, spruce budworm, and eastern spruce beetle are problems in some areas. Spider mites are common. 

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#specimen#needles#pyramidal#conifer#winter interest#ornamentals#showy cones
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#specimen#needles#pyramidal#conifer#winter interest#ornamentals#showy cones
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Picea
    Species:
    smithiana
    Family:
    Pinaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Western Himalayas from Afghanistan to Nepal and Tibet.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Horizontal
    Weeping
    Appendage:
    Prickles
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Size:
    > 6 inches
    Flower Description:
    Purple cones ripen to shiny brown
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    4 sided dark green non prickly needles
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Light Brown
    Bark Description:
    Breaks into irregular plates
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gray/Silver
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Pendulous (drooping) when young with glabrous (smooth) texture
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Theme:
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Specimen