Overview

Aspruceis a   tree   of the genusPiceaa genus of about35 speciesof   coniferous   evergreen plant   Tree in the familyPinaceae , found in the northerly   temperate   and   boreal   ( taiga ) regions of the Earth . They are generally prominent trees , from about 20–60 m ( about 60–200   ft ) tall when mature , and have whorled limb and conic shape .

Spruce trees ’ most distinguishing feature of speech , however , is sharp , stiff needle sprouting from small extensions on the limb and their   cones   ( without any protruding   bracts ) , which hang downwards after they are pollinated . Spruce trees have flimsy , flaky , scaly bark while fir trees have smooth bark . In the landscape , spruce trees usually require minimum pruning and develop in a variety of colors , including yellowed and silvern sorry .

When selecting a spruce to transfer to your landscape , regard your climate and the space you have available for the tree to grow . spruce require little care , but they like full sun and moist , well - drained soils .

Spruce Tree Varieties/Types

1. Oriental Spruce

The oriental spruce , also know as thecaucasianspruceis one of the most beautiful of all the spruces .   It is a marvelous , erect spire - like evergreen with dense , dark green leafage all time of year long . Its branches have a gracefully pendant riding habit and is a great tree diagram for adding vertical interest to the landscape skyline .

Oriental Spruce has dark unripe foliage which emerges sluttish green in spring . The needle stay dark green throughout the wintertime . Neither the flowers nor the yield are ornamentally significant . The rough brownish barque sum an interesting dimension to the landscape .

Oriental Spruce will grow to be about 60 feet tall at maturity date , with a spread of 25 feet . It has a downcast canopy , and should not be planted underneath power lines . It grows at a slow rate , and under idealistic conditions can be ask to live for 70 years or more .

Characteristics

2. Colorado Spruce

The   blue spruce   ( Picea pungens ) , also commonly experience as   light-green spruce , white spruce , Colorado spruce , or   Colorado blue spruce is a columnar or cone-shaped   evergreen   conifer   with densely growing horizontal branches . It has scaly grey bark on the trunk with yellowish - brown branches . It sport needles that are stiff , briery and roughly 1–1½ ” in length .

It is native to the key Rocky Mountains from southerly Montana and eastern Idaho south to New Mexico .   It does best in cooler climates , can not tolerate heating system and humidity . In the wild ,   Colorado spruce   grows to about 23   m ( 75   ft ) , but when implant in parks and gardens it seldom exceeds 15   m ( 49   ft ) tall by 5   metre ( 16   ft ) widely .

3. Norway Spruce

Picea abies , the   Norway spruce or   European spruce is a turgid , tight growing evergreen coniferous tree acquire 35–55   mebibyte ( 115–180   ft ) grandiloquent and with a trunk diameter of 1 to 1.5   molar concentration ( 39 to 59   in ) . It can grow tight when new , up to 1   m ( 3   ft ) per yr for the first 25 years under effective conditions , but becomes deadening once over 20   m ( 65   ft ) tall .

The shoots are orange - brown and glabrous ( hairless ) . The   leafage   are acerate leaf - like with stark tip , quadrangular in hybridization - section ( not flattened ) , and gloomy green on all four sides with invisible stomatous line .

The Norway spruce grows throughout Europe from Norway in the northwest and Poland eastwards , and also in the mountains of cardinal Europe , southwestern United States to the western end of the Alps , and southeast in the Carpathians and Balkans to the extreme Union of Greece

Botanical Characteristics

Also study : Different Types of Evergreen Trees

4. Serbian Spruce

Picea omorika ,   common name   Pančić spruce or   Serbian spruce is a medium - sized evergreen plant tree , growing to 20   m ( 66   ft ) tall , exceptionally 40   G ( 131   ft ) , with a trunk diam of up to 1   m ( 3   ft ) . The shoot are buff - brown and densely pubescent ( hirsute ) . The   leaves   are needle - like , 10–20   mm long , flatten in cross - section , dark-skinned blue - leafy vegetable above , and blue - white below .

Serbian spruce has a very attractive crown physical body and ability to originate on a encompassing stove of soils , include alkaline , clay , acid and sandy filth , although it prefers moist , drain loam . In northern Europe and North America , it is generally spring up as an cosmetic tree in landscapes .

5. White Spruce

The livid spruce is a enceinte   coniferous   evergreen plant   tree diagram   which grows unremarkably to 15 to 30   1000 ( 50 to 100   ft ) tall , but can farm up to 40   m ( 130   ft ) tall with a tree trunk   diam   of up to 1   m ( 3.3   ft ) . The   bark   is thin and scaly , flaking off in little circular plates 5 to 10   atomic number 96 ( 2 to 4   in ) across . The crown is narrow-minded – cone-shaped in untried trees , becoming cylindrical in Old trees .

The shoots can be pale buff - brown , but often   pubescent . The   leave-taking   are needle - like , 12 to 20 mm long ,   rhombic   in crown of thorns - section , glaucous blue - green above with several thin business of   stomate , and naughty - white below with two broad band of stomata .

ashen spruce is also know asCanadian spruce ,   skunk spruce ,   cat spruce ,   Black Hills smarten up ,   westerly white spruce ,   Alberta white spruce , and   Porsild spruce .

6. Black Spruce

Black Spruce also referred to asPicea mariana , the   black spruce is a slow - develop , small upright evergreen coniferous   tree   ( rarely a   shrub ) , having a straight trunk with little candle , a seedy drug abuse , and a minute , pointed crownwork of short , compact , drooping offshoot with upset tips . The   bark   is thin , scaly , and grayish brownness . The   farewell   are needle - similar , stiff , four - sided , dark bluish green on the upper sides , paler   glaucous   light-green below .

In its native range , the tree averages 5–15   m ( 15–50   ft ) tall with a trunk 15–50   centimetre ( 6–20   in ) diameter at maturity , though occasional specimens can reach 30   molarity ( 98   ft ) tall and 60   cm ( 24   in ) diameter . The chain of the dark spruce stretch into northern parts of the   United States : in   Alaska , the Great Lakes realm , and the upper   Northeast .

7. Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Dwarf Alberta spruce is a cultivar of the white spruce(Pica glauca).It is a impenetrable multi - stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form . It lend an extremely fine and fragile grain to the landscape painting composition which can make it a keen accent feature on this basis alone .

Dwarf Alberta Spruce will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity , with a spreadhead of 5 feet . It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore does n’t necessarily ask facer flora in front , and is worthy for imbed under power lines . It arise at a slow rate , and under idealistic conditions can be expected to inhabit for 50 years or more .

Dwarf Alberta White Spruce does well in a coolheaded environs .   Cold wintertime , nerveless summers , and good air circulation are the optimum scope .   The plant will not perform at its good in domain of high rut and humidity . It prefers moist loam or alluvial stain in the full sun . It is kind of wet sites , wind , hotness , moth-eaten , drought , and partial subtlety .

Also take : Different Types of Weeping Trees

8. Sitka Spruce

TheSitka spruce , Picea sitchensis , is a large ,   coniferous ,   evergreen   tree   growing to almost 100   m ( 330   ft ) tall ,   with a trunk   diameter at breast height   that can overstep 5   m ( 16   ft ) . It is by far the largest species of   spruce   and the fifth - largest coniferous tree in the world ( behind   giant sequoia ,   coast redwood ,   kauri , and   western red cedar .

The   bark   is thin and scaly , flaking off in small , circular plate . The crown is broad conic in young trees , becoming cylindrical in honest-to-god trees . The shoots are very pale buff - brown , almost snowy , and glabrous ( hairless ) , but with prominent   pulvini . The   leaf   are unwavering , sharp , and needle - comparable , 15–25   mm long , drop in cross - section , dark glaucous blue-blooded - Green River above with two or three tenuous lines of   stoma , and blue - Elwyn Brooks White below with two dense bands of stomata .

9. Red Spruce

Picea rubens , commonly known asred spruceis a repeated , refinement - tolerant , that under optimal conditions grows to between 59–131   ft tall with a bole diameter of about 60   cm ( 24   in ) , though prodigious specimen can extend to 151   ft improbable and 100   centimeter ( 39 inch ) in diameter . This species is also known asyellow spruce , West Virginia spruce , eastern spruce ,   and   he - balsam .

Red spruce has a narrow cone-shaped peak . The   leave of absence   are needle - like , jaundiced - immature ,   12–15   millimetre long , four - sided , curving , with a sharp point , and extend from all side of the sprig . The bark is gray - brownish on the surface and red - browned on the inside , thin , and scaly . The forest is light-colored , soft , has narrow-minded ring , and has a tenuous red tinge .

10. Bird’s Nest Spruce

Bird ’s Nest spruce , Picea atone ‘ Nidiformis’is a tardily - growing dwarf cultivar of Norway spruce . This cultivar has a dumb , rounded , spreading emergence drug abuse with mostly horizontal branches . It form a slight angle of dip in the center of its unconditional top , give it the appearance of a bird nest .   Although it typically mature to 1 - 2 infantry tall and 3 - 4 groundwork full during the first 10 years , it can maturate to up to 8 feet grandiloquent and 10 - 12 feet wide .

The shrub has fairly light yellow green needle that deepen as they mature to a greyish - green . They provide visual stake to the landscape yr - round , as well as protection for wildlife . The bird ’s nest shrub is a slow grower and can take around 10 years to reach its mature sizing . It can be planted in the spring or the spill .

11. Engelmann Spruce

Picea engelmanniialso refer to asEngelmann spruce , mount spruce or   silver spruceis a medium - sized to large   evergreen   tree   growing to 60 - 100 feet magniloquent , exceptionally to 150 understructure tall , and with a trunk diameter of up to 4.5 feet . The   barque   is flimsy and scaly ; flaking off in small circular plate . The crown is narrow conical in vernal Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , becoming cylindrical in older Tree .

The shoots are buff - brown to orange - browned , normally obtusely pubescent , and with salient   pulvini . The   leaves   are needle - alike , 15–30   millimeter longsighted , rhombic in hybridisation - section , glaucous blue - green above with several slight product line of   stomata , and blue - Andrew Dickson White below with two broad bands of stomata .

Also Read : Different Types of Birch Trees

12. Japanese Bush Spruce

Picea maximowiczii , theJapanese bush spruce , is a species of   conifer   in the   pine   family native to Japan . It lends an highly hunky-dory and delicate grain to the landscape composing which can make it a great accent feature on this fundament alone .

folio   are leathery , linear , and quadrangular in cross - section , measuring 0.4 to 0.8 inch ( 10 – 20 mm ) long and circa 0.04 inch ( 1 mm ) across , with acute apices , deep green color , and a stomatous vallecula on each surface . Bark bright orangish - brown , smooth then flake in immature trees , becoming grey - brown , grating , scaly and fissure in older trees .

Characteristic

13. Dragon Spruce

Picea asperata , flying lizard spruce is a average - sized   evergreen   tree   growing to 25–40 m tall , and with a tree trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m. The shoots are orangish - browned , with scattered pubescence . The   leaves   are needle - corresponding , 1–2.5   cm long , rhombic in cross - section , greyish - super acid to bluish - green with .conspicuous stomatal logical argument . The   cones   are cylindric - conic , 6–15   cm long and 2–3   cm blanket , ripen pale brown 5–7 calendar month after pollenation , and have buckram , rounded to roundly pointed scales .

14. Sakhalin Spruce

Picea glehnii , the   Sakhalin spruceorGlehn ’s spruce , is an evergreen coniferous coinage of tree that get to mature heights of 100 substructure ( 30 m ) ; with a trunk up to 40 inches ( 100 curium ) in diameter , measured at breast height . The crown of a matured tree is pyramidal to conic , presenting long , narrow-minded branches which spread short and horizontally .

Old tree ’ bark is scaly and placoid and is colored in hot chocolate brown ( this is the feature article that distinguishes this species from others ) . vernal sprouts are usually orangish or wine reddish haired in grooves and on stalk . The tree diagram ’s needles are about 10 millimeters long . They are four - sided and a bit curved , fledged trees have blunt acerate leaf , while young 1 have pointed bluish - dark-green unity . When a needle is rubbed , it reek harsh .

Also Read : Trees With Beautiful Fall colour

15. Brewer Spruce

Picea breweriana , known asBrewer spruce , Brewer ’s weeping spruce , or   weeping spruce is a large evergreen plant coniferous   tree diagram   growing to 20–40 m tall with a bole diameter of up to 4 foot . The   bark   is thin and scaly , and purplish - grey in color . The   leave of absence   are borne separately on the pulvini , and are phonograph needle - similar , 15–20   mm long , flattened in crossbreed - section , shining dark green above , and with two bands of white stomata below .

The cap is very discrete , distinguished by degree branches with vertically drooping branchlet , each branch form a ‘ curtain ’ of foliage . The pendulous foliation only develops when the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree rise to about 1.5–2 m tall . The shoot are orangish - brown , with dense short pubescence about 0.2   mm long and very boisterous with   pulvini . Brewer spruce spring up very tardily , typically less than 20   cm ( 8   in ) per year .

16. Purple Cone Spruce

Picea purpurea , also make out aspurple cone shape spruce   and   purple - coned spruce is an evergreen cone-bearing mintage of tree diagram that grows to mature heights of 165 metrical foot ( 50 metre ) grandiloquent ; with a proboscis up to 40 inches ( 100 cm ) in diam , measured at breast height ; and a pyramidal crown .

Leaves   ( needles ) diffuse radially about the branchlet , or closely appressed forward on upper slope , spreading on humble side . Individual needle are straight or slenderly curving and drop - rhombic in cross section . They evaluate 0.28 to 0.48 column inch long and 0.06 to 0.72 in across-the-board , with 4 to 6 stomatous lines along humble surfaces , and variable peak .

17. Spruce Pine

Spruce pine is an evergreen cone-bearing species of tree that grow to mature high of 100 foot ( 30 m ) with a straight , but is often bent and twisted trunk up to 40 inches ( 100 cm ) in diameter , measured at breast pinnacle , and a pyramidal to rounded crown .

leaf   ( needles ) grow in bundles of 2 per fascicle , spreading to ascending from the full point of origin , and hang on 2 to 3 eld on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . The straight , slenderly twisted needles measure 1.6 to 3.2 inches ( 4 – 8 cm ) long and 0.028 to 0.048 inch across-the-board are colored dark dark-green with lines of pore all aerofoil . needle margins are exquisitely serrulate , with an acute apex of the sun’s way .

Bark   on mature Tree is gray , fissured and cross - checked into elongate , irregular , scaly plates , lacking rosin pocket . It resembles red oak bark , and is unlike any other pine in the area . On younger trees and branches , the bark is smooth and gray .

Further References