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Picea abies

Norway spruce

Norway spruce

© RHS

17 suppliers

  • Other common names Norway spruce
    Baltic whitewood

    Burgundy pitch tree
    common spruce
    spruce fir
    white deal

    see more

  • Synonyms Picea abies 'Excelsa'
    Picea rubra A. Dietr.

    Pinus excelsa Lamb.

    see more

  • Family Pinaceae

  • Genus Picea are evergreen trees with rigid, needle-like leaves arranged singly all round the shoots, and narrow, leathery-scaled cones borne near the ends of the shoots

  • Details P. abies is a fast-growing, dense conifer, to 30m tall, narrowly-conical when young becoming broader with age. Dark green, glossy, needle-like leaves, to 2.5cm long, cover the upper side of the branchlets. The light brown cones taper at the top, reaching up to 15cm long and 5cm wide

  • Plant range Europe

Characteristics

  • Foliage Evergreen

  • Habit Columnar/Upright

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H7

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Aspect South-facing or North-facing or West-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained

  • SoilLoam, Clay, Sand

  • pHAcid, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height Higher than 12 metres

  • Ultimate spread wider than 8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in moist but well-drained, acid or neutral soil

Propagation Propagate by seed or by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types Low Maintenance

How to care

Pruning None required

Pests May be attacked by adelgids, aphids and conifer red spider mite

Diseases Generally trouble free

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