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Picea sitchensis

Sitka spruce

A narrowly conical coniferous tree to 50m, with wide-spreading branches when old. The bark is purple-brown becoming grey, and the needle-like foliage is dark green and sharply pointed. It produces cylindrical, green, later pale brown seed cones

Other common names
Menzies' spruce
Tideland spruce

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Size
Ultimate height
Higher than 12 metres
Time to ultimate height
20–50 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7
Botanical details
Family
Pinaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Columnar upright
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

Name status

Correct

Plant range
Coastal W. North America

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any deep, moist but well-drained, ideally neutral to acid soil in full sun. See conifer cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed, grafting or hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Architectural
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to adelgids, red spider mite and conifer aphid

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus

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