Picea purpurea

RHS Plant Profile
purple-coned spruce

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Synonyms

Picea likiangensis var. purpurea

Conifers Trees
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A columnar, coniferous tree to 20m, with flaky, orange-brown bark and glossy green needles, grey-white beneath. It produces ovoid, purple, later purple-brown seed cones to 4cm long

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Higher than 12 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
20–50 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
Higher than 12 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
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 & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Pinaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
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
N.W. China

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