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.
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 color and texture:
The bark of a young tree is thin and thickens into gray-brown flaky scales as the tree matures.
Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, texture, and color:
The four-sided smooth needles with a pointed tip are 1/2 to 1 inch long.
Flower arrangement, shape, and size:
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, nut, and seed descriptions:
Cones are cylindrical, 4 to 6 inches long and purplish-green, changing to light brown as they ripen.
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.
List of pests, diseases and tolerances:
It is susceptible to Cytospora canker and Rhizosphaera needle cast. Bagworms and spider mites can also be problems.
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.
