Spruce: Picea abies

description for "Spruce: Picea abies"

Use Norway spruce where a neat, spire-like form is needed for screens, hedges, and specimens. The tree is pyramidal, with pendulous branches. It's a fast grower (12 to 24 inches per year) with evergreen, bright green needles at emergence, changing to dark green with maturity. The flower bloom in May but are insignificant. It has long pendulous cones that are purple or green, maturing to light brown. Large trees transplant easily. It does best in well-drained, sandy soils. It prefers acidic soils and cooler climates. Full sun. Large cones can be a litter consideration. Susceptible to spruce gall adelgid, red spiders, and tip weevils. --edited by dtd siegelgirl

History:

Native to northern and central Europe.