• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide

Norway Spruce

Botanical Name
Picea abies
Min Zone
3
Max Zone
7
Height
40 to 60 feet
Width
25 to 30 feet
Flowers
Small male flowers are pinkish-red and clustered along the stems, female flowers are reddish-pink and upright on the tips of branches, once pollinated the flowers turn green and hang downward as cones ripen
Fruit
Cone: Narrow, 4 to 6 inches long, 1.5 to 2 inches wide, light green maturing to brown
Light
Full sun
Soil
Moist, sandy acidic
Planting & Care
  • Transplant large size plants (3 to 4 feet) balled and burlap
  • Prefers colder climates and acidic soils
  • Because of its large size, Norway spruce is often used as a windbreak, screen or large hedge in larger landscapes
  • Not a tree for smaller yards
  • The very shallow, spreading root system benefits from a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch to moderate soil temperature and conserve moisture
  • Does poorly in shady sites
  • Large cones can be a little consideration
Problems
Spruce gall adelgid, red spiders, tip weevils, cytospora canker, Rhizosphaera needle cast, bagworm, mites, budworm, borers
Varieties
  • Acrocona - broad-spreading pyramidal form, bright red female cones, up to 20 feet
  • Bird's Nest Spruce (Picea abies 'Nidiformis') - dwarf shrub form, outward spreading branches with a slight depression in the center - resembling a bird's nest, 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
  • Cupressina - narrow variety, 25 to 30 feet tall by 6 feet wide, more tolerant of heavy snow loads
  • Pendula - weeping form, 12 to 15 feet tall and wide, often used as a specimen
  • Pumila - dwarf cultivar, 3 to 4 feet tall by 4 to 5 feet wide, rouned form

Related Content

Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars


April 3, 2024
Garden Trends 

Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI

April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now

April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now

April 17, 2024
Landscaping for Birds: 
A Gardener’s Perspective

Glendale, WI 

April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now

April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs 
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL

April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI

April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI

May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now

May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Learn More

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Enter to Win The Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide !

ENTER NOW