Picea Abies, Norway Spruce Tree Identification Fact Sheet

This is the tree, shrub, and vine identification project fact sheet for Picea abies, Norway Spruce. This fact sheet may not be copied in part or in whole and submitted as one's own project, but may be cited as a source of facts during one's own research. See tree, shrub, and vine identification project main page for links to other plants, and evergreen tree slideshow for pictures.

Plant Botanical Name: Picea Abies

Common Name: Norway Spruce

Family Name: Pinaceae

Plant is Native to What Country: Northern and Central Europe

Plant Height at Maturity: 65-100 feet high, 30-50 feet wide.

Plant Habit and Form: Conical evergreen trees with horizontal to pendulous branching. Twigs on branches often pendulous or weeping. Trees have medium texture.

Foliage: Needles are green, persisting for three years. Needles square, stiff, and pointed, 0.5-1 inch long.

Bark: Gray to brown, may have a yellow or red tint on younger trunks and branches. Bark separates into rounded scales.

Flower: Flowers monoecious, female flowers terminal and pink in color.

Fruit/Seed: Cones found at the tips of branches, usually at the top of the tree. Cones are green, maturing to a light brown the first year. Cones are 2" wide and 4-7" long. Winged seeds enclosed within the cone.

Growing Requirements: Preferring rich sandy loams in cool climates, Norway Spruce is adaptable to variation in soil and climate.

Problems and Drawbacks: Norway Spruce branches tend to touch the ground with age. Trees are susceptible to red spider, tip weevils, and Spruce gall adelgid. Cones can be a litter concern.

Special Uses: Norway spruce is used as a large shade tree. Trees are often used for large screens and windbreaks.

ID Tips/Remarks: Trees have the distinct weeping twigs on horizontal branches.

Bibliography: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/p/picabi/picabi1.html, http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=PIAB, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/picabi/all.html.