Norway Spruce

Botanical Name

Picea abies

Min Zone

Max Zone

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