Spruce Tree: Iconic Evergreen with Distinctive Features

Norway Spruce

Sahana Kanjilal — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 12:23:39 +0000

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

The post Norway Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

Blue Spruce

Sahana Kanjilal — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 09:02:58 +0000

The blue spruce is an extremely resilient species that can withstand massive temperature changes, air pollution, and draught. They belong to the pine family.

Blue Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea pungens

Blue Spruce Tree

Colorado Blue Spruce

Quick Information

Other Names	Colorado blue spruce, Colorado spruce, and green spruce, water spruce
Tree Type	Evergreen conifer
Identification	Height: Around 50-75 ft (15.24-22.8 m) sometimes as tall as 150 ft (45.7 m) Needles: Bluish green pointed needles sizing around 1 in (3 cm) Trunk Diameter: Around 5 ft (1.5 m) Cones: Pale brown in color with an approximate length of 4 in (10.16 cm) Bark: Scaly and grey Branches: Yellowish-brown
Distribution/Range	Southern and central Rocky Mountains including Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho
Habitat	Humid canyon bottoms, steep mountain ranges of fir and spruce woods, mid-montane forests at elevations of 5,905-9,842 ft
Hardiness Zones	3-7
Growth Rate	Slow
Lifespan	150-600 years
Growing Conditions	Soil Requirements: Mineral and moisture enriched soil Light Requirements: Balanced exposure to sun and shade
Diseases & Pests	Diseases: Fungi-caused cankers or plant disease and needle casting ailments Pests: Pineapple gall adelgid, nymphs, spruce budworm, pine needle scales, spruce beetles
Reproductive System	Monoecious
Propagation	By seeds
Seedling Development	Germination happens during the spring season or early summer
Wildlife Value	Provides food for grouse birds and finches while serves as an excellent spot for roosting, nesting and winter shelter
Cultivars	Baby Blue Baby Blue Eyes Hoopsii Glauca Pendula Koster Glauca Globosa Glauca Jean’s Dilly Fat Albert Some of these cultivars are known as dwarf blue spruce
Uses	Medicinal Purpose: Two Native American tribes, Keres and Navajo use an infusion of the blue spruce needles for curing colds, stomach problems, and rheumatic pains Ceremonial Purpose: The tribal people also use the twigs of the tree as a good luck charm to give people For Christmas decorations, this tree is also a common choice for people
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Blue Spruce Seedling

Blue Spruce Bonsai

Interesting Facts

Blue spruce happens to be the state tree of two states, Colorado and Utah.
Its latin name ‘pungens’ means sharp and pointy, referring to the needle shape of the blue spruce.
Sometimes, these trees have a powdery and waxy layer that is responsible for the bluish tone of the needles. The color is susceptible to decaying due to pest attack.
Usually the tree grows around 12 inches in a year, but in an optimum condition it can grow up to 2 ft in a single year.

Dwarf Blue Spruce

Weeping Blue Spruce

References

The post Blue Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

Red Spruce

Sudipto Chakrabarti — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 04:39:34 +0000

Red spruce trees inhabit eastern North America. Perhaps it’s most well-known use is its effectiveness as a tonewood, which makes it a perfect choice for making guitars and violins. The tree is, however, susceptible to windthrow and acid rain, both of which can damage it rather easily.

Red Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea rubens

Red Spruce Cones

Red Spruce Needles

Red Spruce Tree

Red Spruce Trees

Quick Information

Other Names	Eastern spruce, yellow spruce, West Virginia spruce, he-balsam
Tree Type	Evergreen
Identification	Size: 59-131 ft (18-40 m) Trunk Diameter: 2 ft (60 cm) Needles (Leaves): ¹⁵⁄₃₂–¹⁹⁄₃₂ in (12-15 mm) in length, curved, yellow-green Bark: Grey-brown, red-brown underneath Cones: Ovoid, chestnut-brown, 1.25-2 in (3-5 cm) long with tough scales, hangs from the branches
Distribution	Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and North Carolina in the United States, and St. Pierre and Miquelon in France
Habitat	Mixed and pure forests, upper montane and subalpine altitudes of 0-6500 ft (2000 m)
Hardiness Zones	3
Growth Rate	Slow to moderate
Lifespan	250-450 years, sometimes more
Growing Conditions	Summer Conditions: Requires cool, moist summers Winter Conditions: Cold temperatures Rainfall: Precipitation of around 36-52 inches Soil: Sandy loam, well-drained Light Requirements: Full sun
Diseases & Pests	Pests: Spruce budworm, eastern spruce beetle, European spruce sawfly and the yellow-headed spruce sawfly Diseases: Insignificant
Reproduction System	Monoecious
Propagation	By seeds
Seedling Development	Seeds germinate in the spring
Wildlife Value	Spruce grouse, mice, voles, crossbills, grosbeaks, bears, porcupines, deer, snowshoe hares, and red squirrels feed on various parts of the tree
Uses	Used to make paper pulp, acoustic guitars, violins, spruce gum, construction lumber; decoratively used as Christmas tree; twigs are boiled to make spruce beer, and also spruce pudding
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Red Spruce Seedlings

Red Needles on Spruce Trees

Red Spruce Needles

Red Spruce Pictures

Interesting Facts

The red spruce is the provincial tree of the Canadian maritime province of Nova Scotia.
It is very similar to the red spruce, and the two species often end up hybridizing when they share a forest.

References:

The post Red Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

White Spruce

Sudipto Chakrabarti — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 07:07:38 +0000

The white spruce tree, also known as cat spruce and skunk spruce, is a coniferous tree found across North America.

White Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea glauca

White Spruce Trees

White Spruce Pictures

Quick Information

Other Names	Canadian spruce, Black Hills spruce, Western white spruce, Alberta white spruce, Porsild spruce, Single spruce, Black Hills white spruce
Identification	Height: 50-100 ft. when mature Needles (Leaves): Rigid, evergreen, 1/3 to 3/4inches long, the cross section is square, and the tips are pointy but not sharp, green to grey-green, pungent odor when crushed;needles borne on a woody peg Trunk Diameter: 3.3 feet Cones: Cylindrical, pendulous, slender, 1.25-2.75 inches long, 0.63 inches wide, flexible scales, thin, green or reddish, pale brown when mature Seeds: Black, 0.09-0.13 inches in length and with a winglengthof 0.19-0.31 inches, pale brown in color
Distribution/Range	Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon United States: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming Also found in the French territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Habitat	Floodplains, treeline sites and upland slopes, and other landscapes, at elevations from sea level up to 7,000 feet
Varieties	Picea glauca var. glauca Picea glauca var. densata Picea glauca var. albertiana Picea glauca var. porsildii
Hardiness Zones	2-6
Growth Rate	Medium, 12-24 inches per year
Lifespan	250-300 years
Growing Conditions	Soil Requirements: Loamy, acidic, sandy, moist, clay and well-drained soils Light Requirement: Full sun, tolerates shade Rainfall: 7.9 inches to 49.2 inches Winter Conditions: Cold, drawn out winters are preferred Summer Conditions: Short summers with cold temperatures
Diseases & Pests	Spruce budworms, yellow-headed spruce sawfly, European spruce sawfly, spruce beetle, and various looper species
Breeding/Reproduction System	Monoecious
Propagation	By seeds
Seedling Development	Seedlings prone to dying from frost, flooding, snowpress, browsing and competition
Wildlife Value	Nesting and shelter for many animals and birds, seeds used as food by crossbills, grosbeaks, and nuthatches, foliage eaten by deer, rabbits, and grouse; black bears and porcupines enjoy the bark
Cultivars	Conica or Dwarf Alberta Spruce Coerulea Echiniformis Jean’s Dilly Pendula or weeping white spruce Pixie Rainbow’s End North Star Compact White
Uses	Wood used in construction and paper-making, timber is exported to Japan; used as a Christmas tree, cultivars used in Bonsai
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Black Hills Spruce

Dwarf White Spruce

Comparison with Other Spruce Trees

White Spruce vs. Blue Spruce

While the blue spruce is the most preferred spruce for a Christmas tree, the white spruce is only chosen as a last resort.

White Spruce Needles

White Spruce Cones

Black Spruce vs. White Spruce

The wood of the white spruce is valued as timber but the black spruce tree’s wood is not usable as such.

White Spruce Bonsai

White Spruce Bark

Interesting Facts

Crushed white spruce needles give off a pungent smell, thus justifying the names cat spruce and skunk spruce.
White spruce naturally hybridizes with the Engelmann spruce, Sitka spruce and black spruce.
It is the state tree of South Dakota and provincial tree of Manitoba.

Weeping White Spruce

Picea Glauca

References:

The post White Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

Sitka Spruce

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 12:28:23 +0000

What is Sitka spruce?

Named after the Sitka community in Alaska, the Sitka spruce is a species of large evergreen conifers found in the western coastal regions of North America at an elevation of 400-1000 m. Being the third tallest coniferous tree species in the world, the Sitka spruce is known to reach over 90 meters in height.

Sitka Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea sitchensis

Sitka Spruce Images

Quick Information

Other Names	Menzies’ spruce, Yellow spruce, Tideland spruce, Western spruce, Silver spruce, Coast spruce
Size	Commonly 70-80 m tall; straight trunk with a diameter of 500 cm dbh
Identification	Leaves: Stiff, needle-like; 15-25 mm long, cross-section is flattened; blue-green above with 2-3 thin lines, bluish-white below with two bands of stomata Cones: Slim, cylindrical, pendulous, 6-10 cm in length, 2-3 cm in width; green or reddish when young, light brown when matured; thin, flexible scales and black seeds Bark: Thin, scaly, comes off in circular plates measuring 5-20 cm across
Crown/Top	Broad, conic when young, become cylindrical at maturity
Distribution/Range	British Columbia (Canada); Alaska, Oregon, California, Washington (USA)
Hardiness Zones	7-8
Growth Rate	Grows rapidly, 1.5 m per year
Lifespan	Long-lived tree; can live for more than 700 years
Growing Conditions	Winter Conditions: Thrives in areas with mild winters Summer Conditions: Places where summers are cool Rain: Needs moist conditions; annual precipitation varies between 635 mm and 5615 mm within its range Sunlight: Prefers exposure to full sun; tolerates partial shade Soil Requirements: Deep, moist, sandy, acidic, well-aerated; alluvial soil rich in magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus
Diseases and Pests	Root rot caused by Armillaria mellea and Heterobasidion annosum; brown pocket rot, red heart rot, cottonwood rust, spruce broom rust, and some other diseases affecting foliage and stem; pest insects such as spruce beetle, white pine weevil, spruce aphid, and root-collar weevil
Flowering/Fruiting	Cones are produced between 20 and 40 years of age, reproductive buds develop in early summer, pollens are shed during late April-early June
Breeding System	Monoecious
Seed Production	Seeds ripen during late August-early September, dispersed in October; to release seeds, cones open when the weather is dry but reclose during wet conditions
Seedling Development	Seeds germinate on any seedbed, though their survival is low
Wildlife Value	Large ungulates browse the shoots and leaves in the spring; the blue grouse feeds on the needles in the winter; habitat for woodland caribou, mountain goat, Roosevelt elk, Alaskan brown bear, and Sitka deer; used by the bald eagle and the peregrine falcon for nesting and roosting
Hybrids and Cultivars	Picea x lutzii Little Picea mariana x Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis cv. ‘Papoose’ (dwarf Sitka spruce)
Uses	Timber, paper production, the lumber is used for making sounding boards for pianos, violins, and guitar faces; the wood is valuable in constructing components of light aircraft, sailboat spars, masts, and oars, as well as arrow shafts
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Sitka Spruce Bark

Sitka Spruce Pictures

Comparison with Engelmann and Adirondack Spruce

Adirondack spruce vs. Sitka spruce: Adirondack spruce has four-sided, curved, and yellowish-green needles while Sitka spruce has flattened, bluish-green needles; the cones in Sitka spruce are much larger than those in Adirondack spruce.

Engelmann spruce vs. Sitka spruce: The Sitka spruce trees are larger and taller than Engelmann spruce, and their native range does not extend beyond 80 km from the Pacific coast.

Sitka Spruce Cones

Sitka Spruce Leaf

Interesting Facts

The Queets Spruce, located in Olympic National Park, is the largest Sitka spruce in the world with a trunk diameter of 14.9 ft (4.55 m) at breast height, trunk volume of 11,900 cu ft (337 m³), and a height of 248 ft (75.6 m).
The Sitka spruce Carmanah Giant, located in Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, is the tallest in Canada with a height of 315 ft (96 m).
Some of the Sitka spruce trees in Olympic National Forest, Washington often develop tumor-like swellings, called burls.
The Wright Flyer, created by the Wright brothers, was built with Sitka spruce. Before the Second World War, many warplanes were constructed using Sitka spruce wood. It was also used in building the nose cones of Trident I ballistic missiles.
A unique Sitka spruce with golden colored needles, named the Golden Spruce or Kiidk’yaas, grew in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Unfortunately, the rare specimen was secretly felled in January 1997 by a forest engineer Grant Hadwin. The indigenous Haida people still consider this tree as sacred.

Sitka Spruce Tree

References:

The post Sitka Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

Engelmann Spruce

admin — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 07:23:04 +0000

Engelmann spruce is a medium- to large-sized evergreen conifer indigenous to the western parts of North America, typically growing at high altitudes between 3,000 ft and 11,980 ft (900 m and 3,650 m). These spruce trees have a pyramidal crown with a slightly rounded top and their branches extend to the ground, giving the whole tree a low, shrubby look.

Engelmann Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea engelmannii

Engelmann Spruce Bonsai

Quick Information

Other Names	Silver spruce, white spruce, Columbian spruce, pino real, mountain spruce
Size	25-40m (82-130ft) tall, occasionally grows up to 65m (213ft); trunk diameter of about 1.5m (4.9ft)
Leaves	Needle-like, borne singly, 15-30 mm long, glaucous blue-green above and blue-white below, 4-angled; arranged in a crowded manner on upper side of the branches; several stomatal lines on upper parts and two broad stomatal bands below
Cones	Ellipsoidal, pendulous, 4-8 cm long, 3 cm broad when open, violet to dark purple, turn into buff-brown with maturity; cone scales are small, papery, flexible, with wavy margins, 15-20 mm long
Bark	Reddish-brown to purple-brown, thin, scaly, flakes off in circular plates; with stout, yellowish-brown twigs having conspicuous pulvini
Distribution/Range	British Columbia, Alberta, all the western states of United States, Arizona, New Mexico; distributed in the Selkirk, Cascades, Monashee and Rocky Mountain ranges, also in the mountainous regions of the Interior Plateau
Hardiness Zones	2-5
Growth Rate	Slow; average annual increase in height is less than 12 inches
Lifespan	250-450 years old; some may live for 500-600 years
Growing Conditions	Winter Conditions: Grows in places with freezing winters and temperatures dropping below -50° F (-45.6° C) Summer Conditions: Areas where summers are short, cool, and dry with temperatures rising above 90° F (32.2° C) Rain: Needs an average yearly rainfall of more than 24 inches (61 cm) Sunlight: Both full and partial sunlight Soil Requirements: Deep, well-drained, clay loam and silt, silts and loamy sand soils; also on alluvial and glacial soils with ample moisture
Diseases and Pests	Wood rots caused by fungi such as Flammula alnicola, Phellinus nigrolimitatus, Coniophora puteana, Polyporus tomentosus var. curnatua; trunk rots caused by Amylosterceum chailletti, Echinodontium sulcatum, Haematosterceum sanguinolentum, and Phellinus pini; spruce broom rust causes loss of volume and deformation of trunks; matured trees are attacked by spruce beetles; western spruce budworms also cause damage
Flowering/Fruiting	Strobili are formed during late April-early May; ripening of male flowers and scattering of pollens take place during late May-early June at low altitudes, and during mid June-early July at higher altitudes
Seed production	Cones are borne when the tree is 15-40 years old and 4-5 ft tall; cones start opening in September, and the seeds are shed by October
Seedling development	Seeds germinate after the winter snow melts when the temperature is more than 45° F (7° C), and the ground is moist
Wildlife Value	Pine grosbeaks, black-capped chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, pine siskins, and white-winged crossbills feed on spruce seeds; porcupines and black bears occasionally bite the bark; grouse and red squirrels sometimes eat the new buds
Subspecies and Cultivars	Picea engelmannii subsp. engelmannii Picea engelmannii subsp. mexicana Picea engelmannii cv. ‘Argentea’ Picea engelmannii cv. ‘Glauca’ Picea engelmannii cv. ‘Snake’
Uses	Its lumber is used for home construction, paper-making, plywood manufacture, pre-fabricated wood products; occasionally for making food containers; tonewoods for musical instruments including harps, guitars, pianos, and violins; widely used as Christmas trees
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Engelmann Spruce Pictures

Engelmann Spruce Tree

Comparison with Sitka and Blue Spruce

Engelmann spruce vs. Sitka spruce: Unlike Engelmann spruce that has four-sided needles, the Sitka spruce has flattened needles.

Engelmann spruce vs. Blue spruce: Blue spruce needles are sharper than that of Engelmann spruce; as compared to blue spruce, Engelmann spruce has a thinner bark.

Engelmann Spruce Cone

Engelmann Spruce Needles

Care

The seedlings with roots should be planted in damp soil, and the area should be protected by logs, stumps, or live vegetation. If the protective cover is not significantly high, the planting spot should be at a distance of 2-3 inches from the protective cover.
Plant by digging holes using hand tools including power augers and mattocks.
New plantings require protection from livestock as well as rodents. Therefore, plantations should be adequately fenced, and rodent control measures should be taken until the seedlings have grown and become well-developed.

Engelmann Spruce Bark

Interesting Facts

This spruce tree has a shallow root system, and hence, it is at risk of being overthrown or uprooted by the wind.
A type of beverage, known as the spruce beer, has been produced from the twigs and needles of Engelmann spruce. In the past, it was consumed for the prevention of scurvy.

References:

The post Engelmann Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.

Serbian Spruce

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 09:55:41 +0000

The Serbian Spruce, distinguished by its tapering form and needle-like leaves, is a species of medium-sized coniferous tree found in the mountainous regions along the Drina River valley of eastern Bosnia and western Serbia at an elevation of 2,625-5,249 ft. It has dark foliage with blue-green undersides, and its buff-brown shoots are quite hairy.

This tree was first spotted close to the Serbian village of Zaovine in 1875 by a botanist Josif Pančić, who is also credited with naming the Serbian Spruce.

Serbian Spruce

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Genus	Picea
Scientific Name	Picea omorika

Serbian Spruce Images

Quick Information

Size	Commonly grows to a height of 66ft (20m), but occasionally reaches up to 131ft (40m); straight tree trunk with a diameter of about 3ft (1m); adult trees have a spread of about 2.5-4m
Leaves	Flat and pointy leaves, 10-20mm long; bluish-green above but bluish-white below
Fruits (Cones)	Spindle-shaped, 4-7cm long; young cones are dark purple in color while the maturing ones have stiff scales and dark brown coloration
Tree Type	Evergreen
Shape at Maturity	Narrow-pyramidal at the crown
Distribution/Range	On the Viogor, Zvijezda, Tara, Jadovnik, and Radomišlja mountains around the Drina River in Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hardiness Zones	4-7
Lifespan	Over 60 years
Growth Rate	Slow to medium; annual height increase is 12-24 in
Growing Conditions	Winter Conditions: More tolerant to frost than the Sitka and Norway spruce, some resistance to wet snow Summer Conditions: Hot and slightly dry Rain: Over 650 mm annual precipitation Sunlight: Tolerates both direct sunlight and partial shade; needs at least 4 hours of unfiltered sunlight daily Soil Requirements: Sandy, acidic, clay, alkaline, moist, well-drained, loamy
Diseases and Pests	Rust diseases and needle cast may affect the spruce causing their needles to turn brown or mottled yellow; sawfly larvae, spider mites, spruce needle miner, and spruce budworm larvae may infest the branches, needles, and young buds; the white pine weevil can disfigure a spruce tree if left uncontrolled
Flowering Time	Non-flowering
Wildlife Value	Not an important wildlife food source due to its limited range; small animals including deer and rabbits, as also birds, use it as a protective shelter
Cultivars	Pendula (weeping form) and Nana (dwarf form) are the most widely used varieties in gardening and landscaping
Uses	As ornamental trees for decorative purposes; planted in groups for landscape design projects and specimen display; for timber and production of paper; ideal as Christmas tree; also crossed with the Sitka and Black spruce to produce hybrid species
IUCN Conservation Status	Endangered

Serbian Spruce Trees

Serbian Spruce Pictures

Serbian Spruce Tree

Interesting Facts

The genus name Picea has been derived from pix, a Latin word meaning “pitch”, while the scientific name omorika is the Serbian word for “Serbian spruce”. The genus name refers to the resin found in the tree bark.
These trees were distributed over a much larger area in Europe before the ice ages of Pleistocene epoch.
The Serbian Spruce shows great tolerance to air pollution.

Serbian Spruce Cones

Weeping Serbian Spruce

Serbian Spruce Needles

References

The post Serbian Spruce appeared first on Coniferous Forest.