• Home
  • Coniferous Animals
  • Coniferous Trees
  • About Us
  • Contact
Home > Spruce > Norway Spruce

Norway Spruce

The Norway spruce is a beautiful ornamental tree species. The pyramid-shape makes it as a viable choice for Christmas trees. It is also a popular selection for bonsai.

Norway Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Pinaceae
Genus Picea
Scientific Name Picea abies
Dwarf Norway Spruce
Weeping Norway Spruce

Quick Information

Other Names European spruce
Tree Type Coniferous evergreen
Identification Height: 115-180 ft (35-55 m)

Leaves:  Dark green, needle-like leaves and tips are flat, sizing 0.47-0.94 in (12-24 mm)

Trunk Diameter: 39-59 in (1-1.5 m)

Bark: Up and down lines throughout the brown bark

Cones:  Either blunt or sharp triangular-shaped scale tips sizing 3.5-6.6 in (88.9-167.6 mm). Initially they are red or green turning to brown post pollination

Seeds: Black in color sizing 0.15-0.19 in (4-5 mm)

Branches: Branches are swooping and branchlets have a drooping shape

Crown: The crown gradually becomes thinner when the tree ages
Distribution Throughout Europe
Habitat Coniferous forest
Hardiness Zone 2-7
Growth Rate Slow
Lifespan Around 300 years
Growing Condition Sunlight: Full sun required

Soil: Slightly alkaline, wet at times, well-drained, loam, and clay

Water: during the dry weather it needs water  
Drought Tolerance Moderate
Diseases & Pests Cytospora canker, needle cast, and rust diseases, mites, eastern Spruce gall adelgid, Cooley’s Spruce gall adelgid, bagworms, spruce budworm larvae, sawfly larvae,
Reproductive System Monoecious
Propagation Through pollens
Wildlife Value Cone scales are consumed by caterpillars, and barks are fed by moths
Cultivars 1. Acrocona
2. Clanbrassiliana
3. Inversa
4. Little Gem
5. Nidiformis
6. Gregoryana
7. Dumosa
8. Decumbens
9. Capitata
10. Barrya
11. Microsperma
12. Pendula or weeping Norway spruce
13. Virgata
14. Maxwellii
15. Tabuliformis
16. Repens
17. Ohlendorffii
Uses Used for paper and timber production, making the vitamin C enriched spruce beer, constructing musical instruments. In the traditional Austrian medical science, the shoot tip of the tree could be either consumed as a healing beverage or used as an ointment, inhaler, bathing lotion for treating gastrointestinal tracts, infections, respiratory and skin problems
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern
Norway Spruce Seedlings
Norway Spruce Bonsai
Norway Spruce Picture
Norway Spruce Cones

Interesting Facts

  • Its scientific name ‘abies’ means ‘fir-like’ in Latin.
  • Old Tjikko, a clone of Norway spruce is believed to be 9, 550 years old, being the oldest living tree in the world.
  • The number of the tree’s synonym crosses 150.
  • Siberian spruce is known to be its subspecies but scientists are researching about it as the two trees are extremely similar.
Norway Spruce Needles
Norway Spruce Tree

References

  1. https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/nor_spruce.html
  2. https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/picabia.pdf
  3. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/spruce-tree-reproduction-seeds-44386.html
  4. https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/norway-spruce/

Published on July 26th 2019 by Sahana Kanjilal under Spruce.
Article was last reviewed on 5th December 2022.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • Recent Posts

      • Cedar Tree of Lebanon
      • Eastern Red Cedar
      • Black-backed Woodpecker
      • Eastern Gray Squirrel
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Norway Spruce
      • Douglas Squirrel
      • Northern Goshawk
      • Bighorn Sheep
      • Eastern Milk Snake
      • Ovenbird
      • California Redwood
      • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
      • Foxtail Pine
      • Snow Goose
    • Categories

      • Coniferous Forest Animals
      • Coniferous Forest Plants and Trees
        • Cedar
        • Cypress
        • Fir
        • Hemlock
        • Juniper
        • Larch
        • Pine
        • Spruce
        • Yew

© 2023 (Coniferous Forest). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.