The narrow, conical growth pattern of many spruce trees makes them excellent choices for specimens in the yard.
The shape, of course, means it’s a natural choice for Christmas trees, too.
Spruce trees and shrubs arecone-bearing conifers; they belong to the genus,Picea, which includes 35 species.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Here are 18 types of spruce trees and shrubs that add year-round color to your property.
Spruce trees generally do well in cooler climates and may struggle in warmer, more humid ones.
Most speciesprefer a slightly acidic soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
ensure to give them lots of room, as many grow into extremely large trees.
It works well in a container if you wish to have a small evergreen conifer on your patio.
It’s one of the primary hosts for the parasitic eastern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum).
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Although the species is a large tree, smaller cultivars are available.
It is an excellent choice for a specimen tree in your garden asthe weeping formgives it a unique appeal.
‘Barnes’ and ‘Nana’ are dwarf cultivars, while ‘Gowdy’ is columnar in shape.
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The Glauca variety is a light blue, and Glauca Pendula is a weeping variety.
If you want a shorter one, try the Glauca Jean’s Dilly variety.
It’s the most common spruce in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains.
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The tree is not a great landscape specimen in warmer climates.
Engelmann spruce trees lives for hundreds of years, achieving towering heights if the growing conditions are favorable.
Norway Spruce
The Norway spruce is commonly grown as a Christmas tree.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
This species needs soil that drains well, and it will have problems if the soil is too wet.
Note that Norway spruce is considered an invasive species in some parts of the United States.
However, it’s susceptible to acid rain and doesn’t make a good landscape tree in urban areas.
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Its species name,omorika, is the Serbian word for spruce.
The largest recorded specimen was 318 feet.
The needles have a whitish waxy (glaucous) coating, leading to the common name.
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This is an extremely hardy tree once established, but it’s somewhat sensitive to urban pollution.
But its compact form will be threatened over time by the emergence of upright shoots.
Prune off these shoots to maintain its compact form.
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Weeping Serbian Spruce
This cultivar of the Serbian spruce makes a striking statement in the landscape.
It not only has weeping branches but also a severely columnar form.
It does not do well in hot, humid climates but does tolerate air pollution.
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It stays shorter than the species plant for many years because it grows more slowly than the latter.
Spruce trees tend to have prickly needles that cause discomfort upon contact.
This makes them potentially unsuitable for areas such as around pools and along walkways.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Another identifying feature is that, unlike the clustering needles of pines, each pulvinus holds only one needle.
Spruce trees range from shrub-like dwarfs to giants (Sitka spruce routinely reaches 125 to 180 feet tall).
The latter are suitable only for large yards because they need a lot of space.
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Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
Serbian Spruce.Chicago Botanic Garden.
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