Content Detail

Norway spruce is a large, pyramidal tree with long, cylindrical cones that hang like ornaments from the weeping branches against the dark green foliage. This sun-loving, 40 to 60 foot high tree is often used as windbreaks, screens, or hedges in large-scale landscapes.

  • Family (English) Pine
  • Family (botanic) Pinaceae
  • Planting site Residential and parks
  • Tree or plant type Tree
  • Foliage Evergreen (foliage year-round)
  • Native locale Non-native
  • Size range Small shrub (3-5 feet), Medium shrub (5-8 feet), Large tree (more than 40 feet)
  • Mature height 40-60 feet
  • Mature width 25-30 feet
  • Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
  • Hardiness zones Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7
  • Soil preference Acid soil, Alkaline soil
  • Drought tolerance Moderately sensitive
  • Season of interest late spring
  • Flower color and fragrance Inconspicuous, Pink
  • Shape or form Pyramidal
  • Growth rate Fast, Moderate
  • Transplants well Yes
  • Wildlife Birds, Moths, Small mammals
  • Has cultivars Yes

More Information

Size and Form

Norway spruce is a large, 40 to 60 foot high pyramidal tree with weeping branches.

Native Geographic Location and Habitat

It is native to northern and central Europe.

Bark Description

The bark of a young tree is thin and thickens into gray-brown flaky scales as the tree matures.

Leaf Description

The four-sided smooth needles with a pointed tip are 1/2 to 1 inch long. 

Flower Description

Small male flowers are pinkish-red and clustered along the stems while the female flowers are reddish-pink and upright on the tips of the branches. After pollination, the flower turns green and hangs downward as the cone ripen.

Cone Description

Cones are cylindrical, 4 to 6 inches long and purplish-green, changing to light brown as they ripen.

Care Knowledge

Plant Care

Norway spruce grows best planted in full sun and does poorly planted in the shade. The very shallow, spreading root system benefits from a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch to moderate soil temperature and conserve moisture. Because of its potential size, Norway spruce is not a tree for smaller yards. It is often used as a windbreak, screen, or hedge in large-scale landscapes.

Pests, Diseases, and Tolerances

It is susceptible to Cytospora canker and Rhizosphaera needle cast. Bagworms and spider mites can also be problems.

Cultivars

Acrocona Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Acrocona’)

This cultivar has a broad-spreading pyramidal form and may top out at 20 feet high. Bright red female cones are produced at the ends of the branches.

Bird’s Nest Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’)

This dwarf cultivar grows only 3 to 6 feet high and wide. It has stiff, prickly, green to bluish-green, 1/2 inch needles and a neat, dense, compact shape. Outward spreading branches create a slight depression in the center of this flat-topped shrub, hence the name, “bird’s nest.” Cones are seldom produced.

Dwarf Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Pumila’)

This dwarf cultivar grows 3 to 4 feet high and 4 to 5 feet wide. This form is more rounded than that of Bird’s Nest Spruce.

Cupressina Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Cupressina’)

A narrow cultivar growing 25 to 30 feet high and 6 feet wide. It is more tolerant of heavy snow loads.

Weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Pendula’ )

A 12 to 15 foot high and wide, upright, narrow tree with a weeping habit. It is often used as a specimen plant in a mixed border.

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