Picea abies (L.) Karst. - a well-known evergreen coniferous tree from the pine family (Pinaceae), 20-30 (up to 40, and in Western Europe even up to 50) m high with a pyramidal crown. Growth in height does not stop almost throughout life, and even old trees retain their pointed conical shape. The trunk is slightly tapering, that is, it gradually decreases in diameter from the base to the top. Very large individuals have thick trunks with a diameter at the base of up to 1 m. The bark of the branches is red-brown, smooth, brownish-gray on the trunks, with an uneven surface, flaking in small areas. The branches are arranged in regular whorls, each year is marked with a new whorl, which makes it easy to determine the age of the tree by their number.
Young branches are densely covered with leaves. The leaves are single, hard, needle-shaped, up to 2-2.5 cm long and 1-1.5 mm thick, dark green, shiny, tetrahedral, pointed at the end, therefore spiny. Such leaves are called needles. Each needle lives and stays on the branches for 6-7 (sometimes 12) years, although in urban plantings the life of needles is shorter.
Spruce does not have pronounced leaf fall: the needles fall off gradually, and new ones do not grow at the same time.
The plants are monoecious: one individual develops both male and female generative organs, collected in spikelets. Spruce, like all other gymnosperms, does not have flowers or true fruits. In the lower part of the shoot there are male spikelets, in the upper part - female ones, larger in size, reddish-brown in color. Male spikelets are elongated-cylindrical, look like reddish-yellow cones 2-2.5 cm long, surrounded at the base by light green scales. Pollen disperses in May-June, after which the male spikelets fall off. Pollination is carried out by the wind. Each speck of dust is equipped with two appendages - air sacs, which provides it with exceptional volatility. Observations have shown that the spread of pollen from a spruce tree can reach 8-10 km.
Fertilized ovules develop into seeds, and the entire female spikelet during the summer and autumn is transformed into a kind of organ - a cone, consisting of an axis and woody light brown scales attached to it; seeds are placed in their axils. The cones are hanging, cylindrical, smoothly rounded at both ends, 10-16 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. At first they are red, then turn green, and when they become mature, they turn brown. A good-sized cone can develop up to 200 seeds. The seeds are dark brown, ovoid, small - there are 1 05-1 10 thousand spruce seeds in 1 kg.
Spruce seeds ripen in September-October, spill out of the cones only in winter and in early spring, but the opened cones themselves continue to hang on the tree for quite a long time. They fall whole, covering the soil in places with a continuous cover, and do not collapse for a long time. Each seed is equipped with a light brown wing that facilitates the dispersal of seeds by the wind. In the second half of winter, the snow is often covered with an ice crust (crust). So, the wind often blows spruce seeds across the crust over a considerable distance.
Spruce reproduces by seed. Experts have calculated that in good years there may be up to 5 million seeds per 1 hectare of spruce forest. Of course, not all of them germinate and, moreover, not at the same time. Seeds remain viable for up to 10 years. The seedlings bring to the surface 8-9 (from 5 to 1 0) cotyledons, which remain green for 2-3 years, although in the very first years real leaves-needles appear. During the first year of life, seedlings reach only 4-5 cm in height. And in subsequent years, the seedling is not distinguished by its rapid growth - by the age of 10, the fir-tree grows by 1-2 m. Only from 15-20 years old does the growth of the spruce accelerate; it gives the greatest growth (up to 70 cm per year) at the age of 35-65 years. Unlike many tree species, spruce continues to grow in height until the end of its life.
The first cones (and seeds) appear on young spruce trees at 15 years old if they grow in lighted areas. In the forest, spruce begins to bear seeds only at 25-30 years of age, and in dense plantations even later - at 50-70 years of age. It is curious that trees that are just beginning to produce seeds develop only female spikelets in the first years. Seed years are repeated every 3-7 years. The total lifespan of spruce trees is from 200 to 400 years, but individual trees reach an age of 600 and even 800 years.
Norway spruce is widespread throughout the forest zone of Europe, including European Russia, forming pure and mixed forests. The southern border of spruce forests generally coincides with the northern border of chernozem. This does not mean that it cannot grow on black soil - it grows well in plantings throughout the Russian Black Earth region.
In the Cis-Ural region, Norway spruce is gradually being replaced by a related species - Siberian spruce (Picea obovafa Ledeb.J, which is distinguished by smaller cones with wide whole scales. The range of Siberian spruce extends from the very northern latitudes Scandinavia to the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In the sector between the White Sea and the Urals, it forms the northern border of the forest. This is an important forest-forming species of the Ural and Siberian taiga. In total, about 25% of the total forest area in our country is occupied by spruce plantations.
Spruce is widely grown in urban plantings, and along with domestic species, some foreign forms are also cultivated, which are particularly decorative, for example, blue spruce of North American origin. Norway spruce is widely grown in roadside plantings; in particular, it is used to line railways, which protects them from snow drifts.
Norway spruce is a shade-tolerant and frost-resistant species that avoids habitats with stagnant moisture. In no favorable conditions, for example, on the northern border of the forest, forms an elfin form. Its root system is superficial, lying mainly in the layer of soil and ground to a depth of 0.8-1 m, so the spruce weakly resists wind blows. It suffers greatly from forest fires, even ground fires, since its bark is quite thin and the cambium tissue quickly dies from overheating. Does not tolerate high temperatures and especially dry air.
Spruce conquers new territory only with the help of small-leaved tree species, most often birch. A birch tree grows in a free area, and in this new birch forest the spruce seeds that have flown here germinate. Spruce seedlings feel good under the birch canopy (on open areas they die from various reasons, including due to strong illumination and dry air intolerable to them). Young fir trees gradually outgrow the birch in height and, instead of being grateful for the good conditions of the “children’s and youth’s” life, they choke the birch tree, creating unbearable lighting conditions with their dense crowns.
Economic use of spruce
Spruce wood serves as the main raw material for the production of paper and cardboard. Until recently, 70% of world paper production came from spruce raw materials. Spruce wood is widely used in construction (“a spruce hut and a healthy heart”), in carpentry, in particular in the manufacture of furniture. Telegraph poles and railway sleepers are made from it. Spruce wood is irreplaceable for making some musical instruments, such as violins. For this purpose, trees that are most often chosen are those that have withered on the root and have stood dry for several years. Trees whose wood is suitable for making stringed instruments are called resonant spruce. ,
Waste spruce wood that is not needed by woodworking production: sawdust, chips, trimmings, shavings, etc., is a raw material for chemists. From this seemingly garbage, they obtain by hydrolysis ethanol, consumed in many industries, as well as a valuable building material - plasticizer. By dry distillation of non-commercial spruce wood, acetic acid and methyl alcohol are obtained - intermediate products of many valuable chemical compounds.
Spruce bark contains a lot of tannins used in tanning. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from resin obtained by cutting the bark of spruce trees. And these products, as you know, are in wide demand in various sectors of the economy, culture and medicine.
Unfortunately, spruce medicinal plant It is clearly not used enough yet. Scientists have calculated how unacceptably we waste the so-called gifts of nature. Their calculations are so impressive that I would like to present them in full, although they seem to be boring and intended for specialists.
In our country, up to 200 million m3 of commercial spruce timber were harvested annually (almost 100% of spruce harvesting was carried out in Russia, so everything said here applies not so much to the USSR as to Russia). For every cubic meter of wood there is up to 500 kg of waste, the main part of it (up to 250 kg) is woody greens (timbered branches), which can serve as raw materials for the production of many healthy products, including vitamins and medications. 
Judge for yourself. Spruce needles contain: chlorophyll, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon salts; microelements: Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ag, Pb, S, B. 19 amino acids were isolated from spruce needles, incl. lysine, arginine, glycine, threonine, valine, leucine, alanine, aspartic and glutamic acids. The total amino acid content is 0.7-4.9% by weight of dry needles.
Spruce needles are a concentrate of vitamins. The following were found in dry needles: carotene (provitamin A), tocopherol (vitamin E), phylloquinone (vitamin K), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids with P-vitamin activity, thiamine (vitamin B), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid(vitamin B3), nicotinic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9).
And all this wealth is practically not used.
It is impossible not to mention the custom of meeting New Year with a Christmas tree. The custom is, of course, good, but at the same time it entails great losses for our forests.
Spruce seeds are an important winter food for squirrels and granivorous birds wintering in Russia, such as crossbills, which even hatch their chicks in winter.
Medicinal value of spruce and methods of medicinal use
Spruce has medicinal use in its coniferous branches (“paws”), which can be collected throughout the year (while trying not to damage the tree branches). They contain essential oil, trace elements (iron, manganese, chromium, aluminum, copper), stilbene, caffeic acid. It is believed that the presence of stilbene makes the study of pine needle extracts promising as sources of contraceptives.
Spruce needles contain a significant amount ascorbic acid. As it turned out, it contains 6 times more vitamin C than lemon and orange, and 25 times more than onions and potatoes. Its greatest concentration is in winter and early spring. People have long used the paws of spruce (as well as other conifers) to obtain a drink rich in vitamin C. This drink is used to treat scurvy, and they drink it to prevent vitamin deficiencies, especially in late winter and early spring, when there are no other vitamin-containing greens yet. Add 40g of pine needles to 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 20 minutes. and insist. The resulting infusion is drunk in 2-3 doses throughout the day.
In the midst of a flu epidemic, it is useful to burn small pieces of spruce resin several times a day in the room where a flu patient is lying. The persistent resinous smell that accompanies this procedure pleasantly aromatizes the room. The resin itself and its combustion products have therapeutic effect on the patient and disinfect the air.
Spruce is the most ancient medicinal tree in the Russian forest. More primitive people used it for treatment. The air in the spruce forest is almost sterile. Fans of walks through the spruce forest have probably noticed how the feeling of depression and helplessness that arises at the sight of dark green giants, under whose crowns nothing grows, is replaced by confidence in own strength And peace of mind. Walking through a green forest is very good for your health.
For throat diseases, colds, acute and chronic respiratory diseases (sore throat, tracheitis, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis) use an infusion of pine needles. Gargle with the decoction and drop into the nose (for vasomotor rhinitis), 4-5 drops into both nostrils. The temperature of the decoction is 35 °C.
A folk remedy for cough, flu, pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis is syrup made from honey and spruce buds. Spruce or fir buds are collected at the end of May, when they have grown 3-5 cm, washed in cold water, finely chopped. % For 1 kg of kidneys - 3-4 liters of water. Boil in enamel dishes 10-15 minutes, strain, let stand and strain again through cheesecloth. For 1 kg of the resulting decoction, add 1 kg of honey and South propolis extract (extract: 30 g of propolis per 100 ml of alcohol), mix well and heat to 40-45 ° C. Once cooled, pour into bottles and store them closed in a cool place. Take 1 teaspoon before meals 3 times a day.
Make a mixture of spruce resin and yellow wax (one part by weight of each component). Melt the mixture and cool. Place pieces of the mixture on hot coals, breathe in the smoke released in case of persistent old cough, chronic bronchitis.
At the same time, you can take a decoction of spruce shoots in milk orally. Pour 30g of shoots or young cones into 1 liter of milk and cook in a sealed container for 30 minutes. Strain and take in small portions throughout the day. This decoction is also recommended for the treatment of inflammatory processes in the respiratory system, dropsy and scurvy. 
Green spruce cones are poured with water in a ratio of 1:5 and boiled for 30 minutes. The resulting decoction is gargled and dripped into the nose.
For kidney stones and renal colic, the drug pinabine is used, which is a mixture of essential oil from spruce (or pine) needles and peach oil (in equal parts). It has an antispasmodic effect on the muscles of the urinary tract and inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria in them.
Take 5-20 drops of sugar 2 times a day before meals for 4-5 weeks.
You can take pinabine only as prescribed by a doctor, as there are contraindications for it.
Various ointments are used to treat pustules, wounds and ulcers. The simplest of them is an ointment made from spruce resin melted with lard.
Coniferous resin - 100g, unsalted pork lard - 100g, natural beeswax - 100g. Put everything in a saucepan. If the resin is dry, grind it into powder. Boil over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring the mixture all the time, removing foam from the surface. Remove from heat. When the mixture becomes warm, transfer it to glass jar. Store the ointment in the refrigerator.
Rinse the wound with lime water (1 tablespoon of quicklime per 1 liter of water; let it brew for 5-6 hours, drain the water). Thin layer smear a cloth with the prepared mixture, apply it to the sore spot and bandage it. Change the bandage after 1-2 days. Wounds heal quickly.
Make a mixture of spruce resin, wax, honey and sunflower oil (one part by weight of each component). Heat the mixture over heat and cool. Use externally for abrasions, abscesses, and ulcers.
Mix fir resin, wax and butter in equal quantities. This ointment gives a good effect for boils.
In the forest, on a hike, one of the excellent remedies for wounds and cuts is fresh resin. Lubricate wounds, ulcers, cracks daily. Healing occurs quickly.
For skin diseases, gout, joint damage of rheumatic origin, take baths from spruce branches and buds.
To do this, prepare a decoction from the tops of young branches with buds (the ratio of plant materials and water is 1:5, boil for 30-40 minutes). The resulting decoction is added to the bath.
Fir cones are boiled with salt (100g of salt per 1 bucket of decoction). The resulting decoction is added to baths for joint pain of various origins and arthritis. Instead of cones, you can use freshly cut branches.
Tibetan medicine values pine needles as a means of treating burns and long-healing wounds, tree sap for diarrhea, and wood ash as an antidote.
For tuberculosis, it is good to use a vodka tincture of young shoots.
A combined preparation of spruce, fir and pine needles has a sedative effect and increases performance.
Pour winter trimmed pine needles (4 cups) with 3 cups of cooled boiled water, acidify with 2 teaspoons of diluted hydrochloric acid. Leave for 3 days dark place, strain. Drink 1/2 cup of vitamin infusion 2 times a day, sweeten to taste.
They make jam from pine needles with sugar and drink tea with it for shortness of breath.
Spruce resin-resin - 20g, crushed onion - 1 piece, vegetable oil, preferably olive - 50 g, copper sulfate in powder - 15 g. Everything is thoroughly ground and heated over fire, without bringing to a boil.
The ointment has a burning effect and actively treats abscesses, bruises and bone fractures.
If pus is flowing from the ear, it is recommended to pour spruce or pine juice into it.
Five tablespoons of spruce, pine or fir needles, pour 0.5 liters of water, boil for 5 minutes. and leave overnight in a warm place. This infusion promotes the removal of radionuclides. Give patients something to drink throughout the day instead of water. A day off, then treatment again. You can alternate drinking ordinary water and pine decoction for a month (it is better to use melt water instead of ordinary water).
Fill a pan with young shoots of spruce, add cold water, put on fire, bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes. Leave in a warm place overnight, strain in the morning. Store the drink in the refrigerator, but drink it warm, 0.5 cups several times a day.
Brew fir branches collected in September with boiling water: 1 tablespoon of chopped branches per 1 cup of boiling water. Drink a decoction instead of tea, 0.5 cups a day for uterine polyps.
According to Raphael, spruce is ruled by Saturn and is healing for those born under the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius.
Family: pine (Pinaceae).
Motherland
Spruce grows in Northern Europe, Northeast and Central Asia, North America, Central and Western China.
Form: conifer tree.
Description
Spruce is one of the important forest-forming species of the forest zone and mountain forest belt of the Northern Hemisphere. Norway spruce is the largest wild tree in Europe (can reach 60 m in height). All types of spruce have dense, hard tetrahedral needles. Monoecious flowers appear rarely, once every three to four years. Spruce cones, as a rule, decorate older trees. The root system of spruce is superficial, so replanting spruce is undesirable, as are interventions of various kinds. Spruce selections represent amazing variety in height (from dwarf to tall forms), appearance and needles of plants.
Norway spruce (European) (P. abies). Straight, large, conical tree, 25 to 60 m tall and 6 to 10 m wide, with needle-shaped, prickly, dark green needles. Norway spruce branches lie in layers. The growth rate of this type of spruce is average. The cones of common spruce are light brown, up to 15 cm long. Growing conditions for common spruce - sun or partial shade; cool, damp places. Norway spruce is frost-resistant; prefers drained soils, from fresh to moist; grows on not very fertile substrates. On heavy soils, spruce is wind-fallen (it can be uprooted during strong gusts of wind). Norway spruce is sensitive to soil compaction and flooding. Norway spruce is beautifully trimmed; however, dense hedges are only possible in cool, damp, well-lit areas. Norway spruce is common in Europe.
Canadian spruce (white spruce or gray spruce) (P. glauca). Tree average size, conical, slow growing. Canadian spruce is rarely found in nature; grows only in the forest zone North America. However, Canadian spruce has several very attractive varietal forms that decorate many summer cottages. Growing conditions for Canadian spruce are sun or partial shade; it prefers cool, damp places and tolerates moderate soil compaction. Suitable soil for Canada spruce is fresh or moist. Canadian spruce is sensitive to heat and drought, as well as to soil salinity. Canadian spruce can be damaged by early spring sunburn, and therefore requires shelter. Sometimes varietal forms of Canadian spruce develop ordinary shoots that must be removed immediately, otherwise the cultivar will acquire a species-specific form.
Serbian spruce (P. omorica). Slender, medium-sized or large tree from 15 to 25 m tall. The crown shape of the Serbian spruce is narrow-conical or columnar. The cones are violet-brown up to 6 cm long, resinous; numerous even on young trees. The needles of the Serbian spruce are shiny, dark green on top, have two noticeable white stripes below, in general, it seems that the tree has bluish-green needles. Growing conditions for Serbian spruce - sun or partial shade; transfers high temperatures; winter-hardy. Serbian spruce is undemanding and easily adaptable, but requires protection from strong winds. Soils - relatively dry to fresh, well-drained (acidic and compacted soils are not acceptable). In spring, Serbian spruce must be fertilized with magnesium sulfate. In nature, Serbian spruce grows in southeastern Europe.
Serbian spruce ‘Nana’(P. omorica ‘Nana’). Dwarf form (up to 5 m tall). The crown is dense. Serbian spruce ‘Nana’ grows slowly.
Serbian spruce ‘Pendula’(P. omorica ‘Pendula’). A peculiar small tree up to 10 m tall. The branches of the Serbian spruce ‘Pendula’ are drooping, dense and twisted. Serbian spruce ‘Pendula’ is recommended to be used with low shrubs, which will emphasize the unique shape of the tree.
Eastern spruce (P. orientalis). Large conical tree from 20 to 30 m high and from 4 to 8 m wide with a dense symmetrical crown; slow growing. The branches of the eastern spruce are arranged in layers. The cones are narrow, up to 8 cm long, the color ranges from brown to raspberry-brown. The needles of eastern spruce are short, shiny, dark green. The growing conditions for eastern spruce are partial shade and shade. Eastern spruce tolerates high temperatures and is winter-hardy; undemanding and easily adaptable. Eastern spruce prefers well-drained soils; in general, it grows on any substrate - from acidified to alkaline and from fresh to moist, but is sensitive to soil compaction. In nature, oriental spruce is found in southeastern Europe and western Asia.
Eastern spruce ‘Aurea’(P. orientalis ‘Aurea’). Small or medium tree up to 15 m tall. The crown of the eastern spruce ‘Aurea’ is conical. Slow growing plant. Very decorative needles - light or golden yellow. Spruce ‘Aurea’ tolerates shade.
(P. pungens). A medium to large conical tree, 15 to 25 m tall and 6 to 10 m wide, slow to medium growing. The branches are arranged in layers. The crown of the prickly spruce is asymmetrical. The cones are light brown, up to 10 cm long. The needles are prickly, pointed, bluish-green, gradually becoming grayish or dull green. The growing conditions for prickly spruce are sun (in the shade the needles lose their specific color). Prickly spruce tolerates high temperatures, is winter-hardy, wind-resistant, and easily adaptable. Soils range from relatively dry to fresh, very acidic to alkaline; prefers well-drained, sandy-gravel or sandy loam soils. Prickly spruce grows in western North America.
Black spruce (P. mariana). Large tree, reaches 30 m in height. Black spruce needles are the thinnest of all spruce trees. The cones are dark brown, almost black. Black spruce Undemanding to soil, shade-tolerant. Black spruce is winter-hardy. In decorative terms, it is almost as good as Canadian spruce. Black spruce has forms with white-variegated needles ('Argenteo-variegata'), with golden, shiny needles ('Aurea'), a weeping crown (up to 5 m tall 'Pendula'), low-growing forms ('Empetroides' - similar to crowberry, 'Ericoides' - with very thin needles, reminiscent of Erica leaves) and others.
Siberian spruce
(P. obovata). Large tree up to 25 m tall. The crown is cone-shaped. The needles of Siberian spruce are dark green, similar to common spruce. Siberian spruce is shade-tolerant; demanding on soil. The cones are smaller than those of the common spruce, dense, shiny, red-brown. Siberian spruce propagates by seeds. Can be planted singly or in small groups. Siberian spruce goes well with white birch trees.
Spruce Glen (P. glehnii). A tree with a dense cone-shaped crown. Grows in the Far East and Japan. The bark of the Glen spruce differs from the bark of other types of spruce - it is scaly and chocolate brown. Glen spruce needles are green or bluish-green. Glen spruce is shade-tolerant and winter-hardy.
Korean spruce (P. koraiensis). Tree up to 30 m tall with a pyramidal crown and drooping branches. In appearance it is similar to Siberian spruce, from which it differs in larger cones and longer needles. The bark of Korean spruce is reddish-brown. Korean spruce is resistant to natural factors; it goes well with deciduous trees. It is found naturally in the Far East and North Korea.
Red spruce (P. rubens). A tree from 25 to 30 m high and up to 1.5 m wide with a wide-conical crown. The needles are glossy, yellow-green. Red spruce is distinguished by reddish cones and bark. Red spruce is moisture-loving. Rarely found in summer cottages in Russia. In nature, red spruce grows only in the Appalachians (North America).
Growing conditions
As a rule, spruce trees are shade-tolerant, but develop better in the sun. Spruce trees are demanding on soil fertility. They don't like transplants. Spruce trees do not tolerate trampling and soil compaction. Since the root system of spruce is superficial, plants can suffer greatly due to gusts of wind on heavy soils (on fertile soils the root system of spruce becomes deeper). In addition, growing spruce is impossible in a plot with high level groundwater, therefore, due attention should be paid to the drainage arrangement.
Application
Spruce is a plant that is used both in group and plantings. All spruces are perfectly trimmed, which allows you to create and give trees various shapes using them in topiary art. Dwarf spruce trees are planted in.
Care
In hot, dry summers, spruce requires watering (once a week). Fertilizers are applied during planting, but there is no need to fertilize afterwards. Young plants are recommended for the winter. The tree trunk area of young plants needs to be covered with peat for the winter. Adult spruce trees are quite frost-resistant. Spruce species susceptible to early spring burns need to be covered.
Reproduction
Spruce trees are propagated mainly by seeds, garden forms - and less often by grafting. Spruce trees are slow- or medium-growing trees (young spruce trees grow especially slowly). Spruce seeds and spruce seedlings can be purchased at garden center or order online.
Diseases and pests
Aphids, moth caterpillars, spider mite and spruce budworm.
Popular varieties
Varieties of Norway spruce
Varieties of Canadian spruce
'Alberta Globe'- thick cushion-shaped or almost round shape. The needles are green. The height of spruce ‘Alberta Globe’ is from 0.5 to 0.8 m; width - from 0.7 to 1 m.
'Conica'- the most popular variety of all conical spruce trees. Spruce ‘Konika’ is a compact conical shrub from 1 to 4 m high and from 1 to 2 m wide with a dense pyramidal crown and green needles. Canadian spruce ‘Konica’ grows slowly. The use of spruce ‘Konica’ is very wide: it is planted in groups, in containers, in rocky gardens. Spruce ‘Konika’ is shade-tolerant. Spruce ‘Conica’ is propagated by cuttings.
‘Echiniformis’- partly cushion-shaped, partly rounded. The needles are bluish-green or grayish-green. Spruce ‘Echiniformis’ grows very slowly. Spruce height - from 0.3 to 0.5 m; width - from 0.5 to 1 m.
Varieties of prickly spruce
'Glauca'- spruce ‘Glauka’ - a medium-sized conical tree from 10 to 20 m high and from 6 to 8 m wide. The needles are blue when they bloom, later they turn gray-blue. The color of spruce ‘Glauka’ is most intense in June.
‘Glauca Globosa’- a variety with a height and width of 1 to 3 m with an initially round, then stocky conical crown. Spruce ‘Glauka Globoza’ has silver-blue needles.
'Hoopsii'- medium-sized tree, asymmetrical, conical; from 10 to 15 m high and from 3 to 4 m wide. The needles are intense blue or silver-gray.
‘Koster’- a medium-sized tree from 10 to 20 m high and from 3 to 4 m wide. The crown is conical, loose, somewhat asymmetrical. Young needles are silver-blue, older ones are silver-green. Looks two-tone.
'Oldenburg'- a conical symmetrical tree of medium size from 10 to 15 m high and from 3 to 5 m wide. The needles are silver-green or grayish-green.
Photos of spruce and information on how to grow spruce can be found on the Internet.
Spruce is the “queen” of the forest, leading the popularity rating among masters of landscape art. This sacred tree, acting as a talisman for the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but extraordinary decorativeness. Needle-like foliage in emerald, dark green and even blue shades can transform plant compositions, adding a unique twist to the landscape design of the site.
Options for using spruce in landscape design
It’s rare that anyone can remain indifferent to the luxury of color and frozen beauty of conifer needles. It is not surprising that spruce is used quite often in landscaping. It looks great as container planting for framing. garden paths and when designing rocky gardens.
Ephedra is ideal for creating multi-level compositions, combining harmoniously with low-growing shrubs and beautifully flowering perennials
Trees with needle-like foliage of a rich green hue look interesting in combination bright flowers one and perennial plants. Perfect for creating compositions: Japanese anemones, pansies, aquilegia, phlox and hosta. Conifers are an ideal basis for creating evergreen sculptures that can make the appearance of the garden richer and more colorful.
Among the main advantages of using spruce in the design of a site, it is worth highlighting:
- Ephedra will delight you with its rich shades of needle-like greens in summer time without fading under the sun's rays, and winter period, contrasting with the whiteness of the snow.
- The phytoncides released by the plant can productively purify the air, having a healing effect on the human body.
- Spruce is great for any style of landscape design.
- Fluffy branches are convenient to use in making crafts: creating paintings, herbariums, New Year's compositions.
But spruce, like any other plant, has its drawbacks. For example, this conifer is capable of growing greatly, darkening the area and depleting the soil. Therefore, spruce species that have a dwarf shape are used to decorate gardens.
Spruce is also convenient because it is easy to trim. Thanks to this, even an experienced gardener has no problems giving the crown a unique shape.
It is advisable to plant spruce along the fence. In a short period of time, the conifer grows into a magnificent shape, and its thick paws form a solid and dense wall.
Variety of decorative forms
There are more than 20 types of spruce trees in modern parks and gardens. The main thing when choosing the type of conifer is the configuration of its crown and the size of the plant in adulthood.
IN landscape design The most widespread are 3 types of spruce trees:
- Ordinary – type species, represented by more than 50 garden forms. Low-growing forms created on its basis reach a height of 1.2 m, and medium-sized ones reach 3 or more meters. A wide palette of colors of needles, starting from golden and ending with rich green, on branches collected in pyramidal or cushion-shaped crowns, makes conifers of this species welcome guests in garden plots.
- Barbed– more than 70 varieties are represented in the culture. Most of them are medium- and tall-growing trees up to 40 meters high with a beautiful cone-shaped crown. Although there are also dwarf forms up to 2 m high. The needles are very prickly: hence the name of the species. It can be bluish-white, steel-blue, silver and bluish-green.
- Gray– has more than 20 decorative forms. The species got its name due to the ash-gray color of the bark and the bluish tint of the needles. The dwarf forms of this species have a spherical and nest-shaped crown, while the tall ones have a cone-shaped crown. The color palette of needles is quite wide, starting from yellowish-golden and gray-blue and ending with bright green.
Spruces, like any plants, are divided into three groups: dwarf, medium- and tall. When landscaping garden plots, the most popular are dwarf and medium-sized representatives of conifers.
Among all the variety of conifers ornamental plants creeping and dwarf varieties are especially popular in landscape design
Dwarf varieties
Low-growing forms include plants, the size of which in adulthood is several times smaller in comparison with the original maternal species. For example, in natural conditions, the common spruce, called Picea abies, is a 50-meter beauty with a neatly decorated crown, the width of which reaches 8-10 meters.
The decorative form of this tall conifer, known as Picea abies "Nidiformis" or "cushion spruce", reaches no more than two meters in height with a crown width of 2-3 meters.
The main advantage of dwarf forms of conifers is the minimal annual growth of young shoots, which in most cases is limited to 10-15 cm
Among modern varieties created on the basis of Norway spruce, the most decorative ones are conifers, the crowns of which have a nest-like or spherical shape.
The miniature shrub Picea abies “Nidiformis” is perfect for forming low borders and decorating rocky gardens.
The dwarf spruce "Nidiformis" reaches a height of only 40 cm in adulthood, forming a spreading crown with a diameter of up to one meter
The fan-shaped thin graceful shoots of “Nidiformis” are decorated with soft and short needles of a delicate emerald shade.
“Little Gemm” is no less attractive. The shoots extending from the middle of the crown, framed by dark green thin needles, form a neat hemispherical “cushion”. It looks especially interesting in the form of a standard form, planted in a floor container or flowerpot.
The branches of the miniature beauty Picea abies “Little Gem” are covered with soft short needles of a rich dark green hue.
Picea abies “Will’s Zwerg” has a beautiful narrow-conical dense crown shape. The plant is interesting due to the soft green tint of young needles covering the milky shoots, which contrasts favorably against the background of the dark green of old needles. evergreen shrub well suited for small home gardens.
Spruce "Will's Zwerg" looks interesting in group compositions and as a solitaire when arranging gardens with a small area
The selectively bred “Glauca Globosa” is famous for its extraordinary decorativeness. dwarf plant does not have a clearly defined trunk. Its spreading branches, studded with millions of thin needles of an elegant silver-blue hue, form a beautiful spherical crown. The cones that form on the branches, reminiscent of New Year's decorations, give the tree a special attractiveness.
The blue beauty "Glauca Globosa" is often used to decorate city landscapes, often acting as an elegant addition to park alleys
You can’t ignore the picturesquely creeping along the ground low-growing varieties. The miniature "Nana" resembles a soft pillow, and "Echiniformis" is identified with a bun, round shapes which act as an original frame for garden paths.
Most types of spruce trees themselves are shade-tolerant, but often their dwarf forms are very sensitive to lack of light.
Medium-sized species
While creating homestead design It is also customary to use medium-sized conifers, the height of which reaches no more than 15 m. A low single tree with a clearly defined crown looks picturesque against the background of a lawn “carpet” or the walls of a house. A spectacular driftwood or white stone will help complement the picture.
Spruce trees with spreading crowns can create a shady area for relaxation, filled with a special atmosphere of home comfort and unity with wild nature
Blue spruce is one of the most popular types ephedra, revered by designers not only for its ease of care, but also for the fascinating change in shades of needle-like foliage throughout the year. Only 20% of representatives of this species have a pronounced sky color, the rest are rich in green and bluish tones.
Blue beauties are not able to withstand temperature fluctuations in the northern regions and feel comfortable only in temperate latitudes. Spruce with blue needles looks advantageous along garden paths, against the background wooden buildings or stone buildings.
A prominent representative of this species is Picea pungens “Blue Diamond”, which means “blue diamond”.
The graceful beauty "Blue Diamonds" with a tall thin trunk and a neatly formed conical crown is often used for mixed mixborders.
Weeping spruce species will help diversify the collection. Considering their desire for the aquatic environment, conifers can be safely used in the design of shores.
Full-size weeping spruce trees reach a height of 10-15 meters with a width of 2-3 meters. Thin branches, hanging down, bend around the curved trunk of the plant, giving it a weeping shape.
Serbian spruce "Glauka Pendula" with flexible thin shoots hanging along the trunk - a win-win option when implementing non-standard solutions in garden compositions
Canadian spruce is more suitable for our climate. It is famous for its frost resistance and ease of care. It is interesting for landscape design because it has a decorative conical crown shape, gives a small increase over the year and fits harmoniously into the design of even very small areas.
“Piccolo” is a bright, elegant variety with emerald green needles that cast a slight bluish tint in the sun, looks impressive in group plantings
Against the background of plain green “sisters,” Picea pungens “Maigold” stands out, adding to the collection of varietal beauties in 1988. It will look great as a tapeworm.
Young shoots sparkling in the sun make the coniferous beauty “Majgold” look like a queen wrapped in a golden robe
The crown of the tree, reaching a height of 6 m, has a loose pyramidal shape. The creamy-yellow needles on young shoots gradually change color after a few weeks, acquiring an equally attractive bluish-green hue.
Combinations of conifers
If the area of the plot allows, then to create a picturesque and original picture it is better to use spruce trees of different types and varieties.
Material about coniferous compositions in garden landscape design:
Tall trees fit well into any landscape as tapeworms; more compact forms of conifers can be safely combined with other plantings
In order for the intended composition to turn out harmonious and attractive, masters of landscape art advise taking into account a number of key points:
- The composition should not be too colorful. For a group of three conifers, use two colors. When composing a composition of five evergreens, use only three colors.
- When creating a multi-level composition, including 20-30 plantings, place the elements in groups, matching them by color.
- The fir-shrub ensemble requires proper placement of accents: the foreground is occupied by low-growing plants, the background by medium-sized conifers.
- Arranging regular or conifers in the near-trunk area will help to avoid the feeling of density of Christmas tree plantings.
Juicy needles of a dark shade will emphasize the beauty of the flowering shrub located nearby. In addition to beautifully flowering plants, shrubs with unusually colored foliage will be a good addition to the coniferous beauty:,.
Spruces combine well with others coniferous varieties and flowering perennials, creating a picturesque picture that looks elegant at any time of the year
Proper planting and care is a guarantee that coniferous beauties will delight you with their presentable appearance. appearance almost all year round.
If you want to decorate your plot with one or more spruce trees, experienced gardeners advise adhering to certain rules:
- Boarding time. It is better to plant ephedra in early spring or early autumn, when the plant has not yet entered or has already passed the vigorous growth phase. To protect young shoots from frost and rodents, it is advisable to mulch the tree trunk area with peat for the winter.
- Location. Under natural conditions, spruce develops well near the river valley, where it receives enough moisture to nourish a powerful root system. But at the same time, she does not like wetlands, and therefore needs drainage.
- Soil composition. All types of spruce trees love fertile alkaline and acidic soil. They are intolerant of heavy soil types. When planting ephedra in depleted soil, the planting hole should first be enriched by adding 100 grams of complex mineral fertilizer. With a lack of oxygen and nutrition, the plant may even die.
It is worth considering that spruce greatly affects the flowers and shrubs surrounding it, so it is better to place it at a short distance from sun-loving plants. You should not plant conifers close to each other, since their branches will limit the access of sunlight.
By following these simple rules when selecting varieties and composing plant compositions, you can create a cozy and picturesque design on your site that will delight the eye throughout the year.
Video instruction: setting up a fir fence
A beautiful New Year tree,
And also when it blooms!
We are all used to seeing it, but in nature, spruce trees are no less elegant when it’s time to bloom. How do spruce trees bloom? 
However, many people are completely unaware that spruce trees can bloom. And this sacrament takes place in a deep forest at the end of spring.
Who goes there at this time? It’s too late to go skiing, but it’s still too early to pick up mushrooms and berries. So our coniferous beauties bloom without witnesses.
Only maybe rare hunters and foresters can observe this beauty, and even forest animals, and the picture of the wild flowering of spruce is simply amazingly beautiful!
Dark green fluffy branches are densely covered with bright ruby lights - these are the female inflorescences that “burn”, like New Year’s candles. Their size is slightly larger hazelnut. There are also less noticeable, pea-sized male inflorescences on the branches. 
Let's say right away that speaking about the “blooming” of spruce, from a scientific point of view, is incorrect . She is not flowering plant, and cannot bloom, like all other coniferous trees related to gymnosperms.
But at the everyday level it is permissible to say that the spruce has “bloomed”, because it has not yet been possible to find another expression to denote the amazing phenomenon.
For a dark coniferous forest, flowering spruce trees are a fabulous sight.
Why do people rarely see spruce trees bloom?
One of the reasons has already been mentioned - spruce trees bloom when the forest is least visited by people.
The next reason, and the main one: spruce trees bloom rarely and bloom very late
- at 25-30 years of life, when they reach a height of at least 3 meters (they grow slowly - only 10 cm per year).
Spruce lives for a very long time - almost 500 years, growing up to 50 meters in height, but The forest beauty experiences “blooming” and fruiting only about 30 times in its entire life.
.
Another reason is that not all types of spruce bloom brightly
, so their flowering goes unnoticed by people. In total there are about 40 species of spruce, and only 8 of them grow in Russia
.
And, if the inflorescences of some spruce species are bright crimson, then in others they are orange or pale yellow.
The spruce blooms for just over a week. During this time, instead of inflorescences, cones appear on the branches. But The cones are not spruce fruits at all, but only modified shoots.
By fir cones Mushroom pickers and hunters predict the weather. Before dry weather, the cones “open”, and before rain, their scales press tightly against each other.
No one will argue that Christmas trees bring benefits to people, coming into their homes on New Year's Eve, and, becoming the center of fun, creating a magical festive atmosphere with just their appearance.
But it turns out that it was thanks to the Christmas tree, we hear both energetic and calm music on holidays (and on weekdays)
, because musical instruments(violins, pianos, balalaikas, guitars and many others) are currently made from spruce wood.
For this rare quality, spruce received the name “singing” tree.
How much benefit and goodness the beautiful coniferous tree gives to people, so it’s not for nothing that they have been dancing around it for many centuries, calling it a wonderful tree. And at the same time, they almost don’t know how spruce trees bloom.
This is where the interesting fact ends!
But tomorrow we'll find something more interesting!
With best wishes for health and prosperity,
Your dedicated guide to the World of Interesting Facts,
Mozgunova Irina.
Spruce belongs to the genus Picea (resinous plants) of the pine family. It is distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to the south. About 50 species of spruce are known, their photos and descriptions can be found on this page.
In the European part, up to 10 species of spruce grow, and there are a great variety of them. But mainly five types of decorative spruce trees are used in landscaping.
This crop is a monoecious evergreen tree with a cone-shaped crown, gray bark and dense needles. The root system is superficial. The advantage of all decorative forms of fir trees is that they form a crown naturally and do not require pruning.
Common spruce is a tree up to 40 m tall with a trunk up to 1-1.5 m in diameter. The crown is cone-shaped, with distant or drooping branches, rising at the end, and remains sharp until the end of life.
bark common spruce reddish brown 
The bark of the common spruce is gray
The bark of the common form of spruce is reddish-brown or gray, smooth or fissured, of varying degrees and nature of fissuring, and relatively thin.
spruce shoots 
spruce shoots
The shoots are light brown or rusty yellow, glabrous. Buds are 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovoid-cone-shaped, pointed at the apex, light brown; their scales are bluntly triangular, light or reddish brown.
Spruce needles 
Spruce needles
The needles are 8-20 mm long, 1-1.8 mm wide, tetrahedral in shape, have a sharp apex, with 2-4 stomatal lines on each side, dark green, shiny; the needles last 6-7 (up to 10-12) years.
Spruce cones 
Spruce cones
The cones are 10-16 cm long and 3-4 cm thick, oblong-ovate, initially light green or dark purple, brown when mature. The seed scales are obovate, slightly longitudinally folded, convex, notched along the upper edge, sometimes truncated.
Spruce seeds 
Spruce seeds
The seeds are 2-5 mm long, brown or dark brown, with a light brown wing that is about 3 times larger than the seed. The seeds open and disperse in the second half of winter.
Spruce 
Spruce
Lives in nature for 250-300 years. The annual growth is 50 cm in height and 15 cm in width. Up to 10-15 years it grows slowly, then quickly.
Grows wildly in Europe and Asia. Very demanding on soil moisture and composition. Does not tolerate sandy loam. It grows satisfactorily only in low areas. Very sensitive to air pollution.
All varieties of common spruce are not plants for the garden. It is attractive only in at a young age, and over the years it loses its decorative effect, stretches out, and thins out. Various forms of common spruce, having bushy, spherical, and weeping crowns, are valuable.
It is better to use decorative forms of this spruce in the garden: below are the names and descriptions of the most popular of them.
Spruce "Echiniformis" in the photo
"Echiniformis" (spinate). Dwarf, slow-growing form, reaching 20 cm in height and 40 cm in width. This variety of common spruce has a cushion-shaped crown, unevenly developed in different directions. The shoots are light brown, glabrous, slightly shiny, hard, and relatively thick. Annual growth is 15-20 mm. The buds are light brown, large, cylindrical, rounded.
As you can see in the photo, this variety of common spruce has yellow-green to gray-green needles, the lower needles are flat with a short sharp tip, the upper ones are star-shaped, located under the terminal cone:
Varieties of common spruce 
Varieties of common spruce
Spruce "Compacta" in the photo
"Compact". Dwarf form, usually about 1.5-2 m tall. Old plants sometimes reach 6 m in height with the same crown width. The shoots are numerous, short, raised and brown in the upper part of the crown. The needles are about 9 mm long, shorter towards the top of the shoot, shiny, green.
"Nidiformis" (nest-shaped). Dwarf form, slightly higher than 1 m, wide, dense. The crown is cushion-shaped, flattened, which is obtained in the form of a nest due to the shoots growing obliquely from the middle of the plant and the absence of main branches. The branches grow evenly, fan-shaped and trumpet-shaped. There are numerous shoots. Annual growth is 3-4 cm. The needles are light green, flat, with 1-2 stomatal lines, which are hallmark, 7-10 mm long. Very effective for low borders, in small groups created on parterres and rock gardens. Currently one of the most common dwarf forms.
Here you can see photos of varieties ordinary type spruce trees, the names of which are given above:
Varieties of Norway spruce 
Varieties of Norway spruce
Canadian spruce in the photo
Canadian spruce– a tree 20-35 m tall, with a trunk 60-120 cm in diameter, with a dense regular cone-shaped dense crown. The branches of young plants are directed upward, while those of old ones are mostly downward and flat.
The bark is smooth or scaly, ash-brown. Young shoots are yellowish or whitish-light brown, glabrous. Buds up to 6 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, almost spherical, non-resinous; their scales are blunt-ovoid, light brown, shiny.
The needles are 8-18 mm long, about 1.5 mm wide, tetrahedral, bluish-green, densely spaced and rather hard, slightly curved, smell quite sharp when rubbed, the needles last up to 11 years.
Look at the photo - this type of decorative spruce has ovoid-cylindrical cones, up to 7 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm thick, light green until ripe, mature - light brown:
Decorative spruce cones 
Decorative spruce cones
The seed scales are thin and elastic, solid along the upper edge.
The seeds are 2-3 mm long, light brown, with an orange-brown wing 3 times the length of the seed. The cones ripen in September.
Winter-hardy and quite drought-resistant. Lives up to 300-500 years.
All varieties of Canadian spruce are recommended for single and group plantings; dwarf forms are promising for rocky hills. It grows successfully in both maritime and continental climates. Quite drought resistant. Not picky about soils, tolerates poor and sandy soils. It resists winds well and is used as a windproof. Less sensitive to gases and smoke than European spruce.
Currently, about 20 decorative forms of this type of spruce have been described; you can find a description of the most popular of them below.
Spruce "Konika" in the photo
The most amazing variety - "Konica". If everyone knows the blue spruce, then the other Christmas tree, which dendrologists briefly call “konica”, i.e. conical, still rare.
"Konica" is a mutation of Canada spruce native to eastern North America. It differs from its ancestor not only in its miniature size, its height rarely exceeds 2 m, but also in its surprisingly dense crown cone and soft light green needles.
By the middle of the last century, the Canadian spruce variety “Konica” conquered the whole world, settling in the gardens of countries with a temperate climate and developed ornamental gardening.
Its real discovery in Russia occurred only relatively recently, along with the rapid development of ornamental gardening, when Konika seedlings began to come to us in large quantities from Holland, Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries Western Europe, where its reproduction has long been established. "Konika" propagates exclusively by cuttings, as it does not bear fruit.
IN middle lane In Russia it is quite winter-hardy. But in urban conditions it is less stable than prickly spruce. With strong gas pollution, the decorativeness of the Christmas tree is reduced.
It grows slowly, which is an advantage in garden design. At five years old, the Christmas tree reaches a height of 20 cm and already at this age its decorative properties are strikingly superior to even-aged seedlings of common spruce. By the age of ten, “Konika” reaches an average height of 80 cm and is completely decorative. And by the age of 20, its height is usually 150 cm, the diameter at the base is about a meter.
“Konica” should be planted in open places, protected from cold winds, with cultivated, light loamy soil. Caring for it may be limited to watering during dry periods.
The development of the Christmas tree, and therefore its decorativeness, is facilitated by periodic surface loosening and mulching of the tree trunk circle with rotted organic matter. Mulching is best done in early autumn, and in spring the mulch should be incorporated shallowly into the soil.
In favorable conditions, "Konika" retains its high decorative value until old age. It does not need pruning or shaping. Like the blue spruce, it is designed to play the role of tapeworm in decorative design and just a godsend for a small garden.
This Christmas tree fits well into large rock gardens, it is desirable in the background of flower arrangements, and harmoniously combines with other low conifers. Looks especially elegant on the lawn. At the same time, it is advisable to plant it in an even row of three or more plants or in a group of several Christmas trees.
Among other decorative forms, “Aurea” is known, characterized by strong growth. The needles on the upper side are golden in color.
Spruce "Aureaspicata" 
Spruce "Aureaspicata"
"Aureaspicata". The form is distinguished by the yellow color of the needles and young shoots, which persists only in summer, but later they turn green.
"Elegance Compacta". The crown is conical, but the growth is stronger than that of "Konika", young shoots and buds are yellow-brown, the needles are fresh green, 8-10 mm long, annual growth is 5-4 cm.
"Nana" (low). Dwarf form up to 1-2 m high. The crown is wide, rounded. The branches are dense, numerous, unevenly spaced, gray, very flexible. Annual growth is 2.5-4.5 cm.
Pay attention to the photo - this variety of Canadian spruce has radial needles, 5-7 mm long, thin, hard, gray-blue:
Canadian spruce needles 
Canadian spruce needles
The culture is winter-hardy. Propagated by cuttings.
"Pendula"- weeping form, has strongly drooping branches, branches abundantly, needles are densely located on the branches, bluish-green.
Among the forms with blue needles worthy of attention:
Spruce "Alberta Blue" 
Spruce "Arenson Blue"
"Alberta Blue", "Arenson Blue",
Spruce "Cerulea" 
Spruce "Sunder Blue"
"Cerulea", "Sunder Blue".
All of them have dwarf growth and retain the color of their needles well in open sunny places: alpine roller coaster, heather gardens. They are suitable for growing in containers.
Speaking about what rare types of spruce there are, it is worth mentioning the Engelmann and Schrenk forms.
Engelman spruce in the photo
Engelman spruce- native to North America. In terms of the slenderness of the crown, this is the most decorative spruce. The tree amazes with its grace and healthy looking. Even the very lower branches are never bare. It is very resistant to unfavorable conditions cities and to soil and climatic influences. When describing Engelmann spruce, it is definitely worth mentioning its qualities such as winter hardiness, shade tolerance and drought resistance.
It has many decorative forms that are widely used in landscaping.
Spruce "Glauka" in the photo
Most Popular "Glauka" (gray). Tree 20-40 m tall, with a dense cone-shaped crown, without a clear horizontal layering of branches. The needles are less prickly, more flexible and less spaced than those of prickly spruce, bluish-blue; the color is especially clear in early spring.
As you can see in the photo, the Engelmann spruce needles in winter are not so attractive, but still decorative:
Engelman spruce 
Engelman spruce
Grows quickly. Winter-hardy. Propagated by seeds, cuttings, grafting. Recommended for single, group and alley plantings in large gardens.
Schrenk's spruce, or Tien Shan, is a powerful tree with a narrow cone-shaped crown, a sharp top and branches hanging to the ground. The needles are light green or bluish. Light-loving, not demanding on soils, but moisture-loving and low frost-resistant.
Look at the photo - this type of spruce has high decorative qualities, which makes it desirable in garden compositions, and its slow growth in the first years of its life allows it to be formed into dense hedges:
Spruce in the form of a hedge 
Spruce in the form of a hedge
It has a spherical shape - a tree up to 1.8 m tall with a rounded crown.
Prickly spruce in the photo
Prickly spruce. Among the numerous representatives of the genus, it stands out for its slenderness and beauty, undemandingness to growing conditions, frost resistance and resistance to air pollution, surpassing many of its brethren in this indicator.
Decorative at any time of the year. The most valuable evergreen tree up to 25 m, lives up to 100 years.
The crown is pyramidal. The branches form regular dense tiers, horizontal or hanging at different angles. Particularly beautiful are specimens in which the branches are evenly spaced in regular tiers around the trunk from the very ground to the top.
The needles are prickly, their color varies from green to light blue, silver, up to 2.5 cm long. good conditions growing needles live 5-7 years, more often 3-4 years.
The breed is considered resistant to dust and smoke, but in urban conditions it must be washed with water at least 5 times a month. Photophilous. It is demanding on soil fertility and moisture, but does not tolerate overly fertile soil or waterlogging.
Tolerates pruning well. Propagated by seeds and grafting.
It is recommended to plant some distance from roads and industrial enterprises, against the backdrop of a lawn, preferably in illuminated areas. Usually single specimens or small groups are planted in the front places of the garden. It is especially good in combination with Serbian spruce, pseudo-hemlock, plain fir, etc.
Popular forms of prickly spruce are described below:
Spruce "Argentea" 
Spruce "Argentea"
"Argentea" (silver). A straight-trunked tree 30-40 m tall with a cone-shaped crown and clearly spaced horizontal branches. The needles are silvery-white, a light waxy coating remains on old plants, young needles have a soft green color with a whitish tint. Widely used in landscaping, in single and group plantings;
Spruce "Glauka" 
Spruce "Glauka"
"Glauka" (gray). It differs from the main species in its bluish-green needles, which retain their color throughout the year. The lifespan of needles of this variety of prickly spruce is 3-10 years, depending on conditions. Plant height is 20 m. Annual growth is more than 30 cm. The crown is symmetrical, cone-shaped. The shoots reach the ground and are arranged in tiers almost horizontally. Branches do not break under the weight of wet snow. Suitable for creating large arrays, small clumps, for single plantings;
Spruce "Glauka Globoza" in the photo
"Glauca Globosa" (blue spherical). Dwarf form up to 1 m tall and up to 1.5 m in diameter. Young shoots are yellowish-brownish and thin. The crown is rounded, dense only in old age.
Pay attention to the photo - this variety of prickly spruce has thick, slightly crescent-shaped, blue-white needles, about 1 cm long and 1 mm thick:
Prickly needles 
Prickly needles
"Hoopsie." The height of the tree is 12-15 m, the diameter of the crown is 3-4.5 m. The crown is evenly branched, very dense. The annual growth is 12-20 cm, the branches are horizontally spaced from the trunk. The shoots are light red-brown, the apical buds are ovoid, 1 cm long. Scales are short, bent. The needles are needle-shaped, hard, sharp, bluish-white, 2-3 cm long, directed forward, thick, last 4-6 years.
"Bonfire". Tree 10-15 m tall, with drooping weeping branches. The crown diameter is 4-5 m. The needles are slightly crescent-shaped, bluish-green with a light waxy coating, thin, crescent-shaped, short, 20-25 mm long. The silver-blue color of the needles remains in winter. Young shoots are orange-brown. The trunks are bent. One of the most famous blue forms of prickly spruce. The crown is evenly developed, conical. Recommended for solitary and group plantings near houses, for decorating ceremonial places.
"Moerhaimi." Strongly and unevenly growing, narrow-conical shape. The needles are 20-30 mm long, adjacent. In the second year it becomes an intense silvery blue.
As you can see in the photo, the color of the needles of this variety of prickly spruce does not change in winter:
Spruce in winter 
Spruce in winter
The branches are short and horizontal. The apical bud is 10-15 mm long, blunt, yellow-brown. The lateral buds are very different and are located spirally below the apical bud. The scales at the apex are strongly deflected.
"Moll". Dwarf form, grows slowly. At 20 years of age, the height is about 1 m. The annual growth is 3-5 cm, the crown is broadly conical and very densely branched. The shoots are yellow-brown. The needles are beautiful, bluish-white, 10-15 mm long and 1 mm thick.
"Montgomery." Dwarf form, slow-growing, very squat, at 35 years of age the height and diameter of the crown is 1.8 m, annual growth is about 6 cm, shoots are yellow-brown, buds are ovoid, yellow-brown, scales are bent. The needles are 18-20 mm long, gray-blue, sharp.
"Oldenburg". Tree 10-15 (20) m high, with a crown diameter of 5-7 m. The crown is conical. The bark is brownish-gray, flaky, the shoots are orange-brown.
The photo shows that this variety of prickly spruce has needle-shaped, dense, hard, prickly, steel-blue needles:
Prickly spruce 
Prickly spruce
It stays very firmly on the branches. Grows quickly. Annual growth is 30-35 cm in height, 15 cm in width. Photophilous. It is undemanding to soils, but grows better on chernozems and loams and tolerates temporary excess moisture. Frost-resistant, tolerates frost well. Application: single plantings, groups.
In this section of the article you can see photos and descriptions of the blue spruce species from the Pine family.
Blue spruce in the photo
The blue spruce tree is an evergreen coniferous tree, 25-30 m high, rarely up to 46 meters. The trunk diameter is up to 1.5 meters. The bark is thin and scaly. The crown is narrow-conical in young trees, and becomes cylindrical in old ones. The needles are 15-30 mm long, rhombic in cross-section. The needles of blue spruce deserve a special description - the color of the needles of this plant species ranges from grayish-green to bright blue.
The crown is conical, compact, the needles are tetrahedral, dense, very prickly. The bark of the trunks and branches is grayish-brown, initially smooth, later fissured.
On the picture
Decorative blue spruce cones are slightly cylindrical, 6-11 cm long and 2 cm wide when closed, up to 4 cm when open. The color of the cones is from reddish to purple, the mature cone is light brown. The seeds are black, 3-4 mm long with a light brown wing 10-13 mm long.
Look at the photo - blue spruce has cylindrical cones, up to 9 cm long, light brown, ripen in the first year:
Decorative blue spruce cones 
Decorative blue spruce cones
Blue spruce is one of the hardiest spruce trees in all respects. It is inferior to common spruce only in shade tolerance. But it is extremely resistant to atmospheric pollution, frost-resistant, drought-resistant, and very unpretentious to soil conditions.
However best development and more decorative effect Blue spruce reaches its species on fertile structural loams, in full light.
This tree has a pronounced root core, which makes it drought-resistant. And yet, in the first 6-8 years, seedlings should be watered 2-3 times during the summer, and in case of drought, be sure to water them at least once a week. This will allow the trees to grow stronger. The greatest increases in height in blue spruce plants are observed after 8-10 years. And by 20-25 years the trees are already fully formed. The first cones can sometimes be seen on 15-year-old trees.
Until the age of 8-10 years, it is better to keep the tree trunk under black fallow, mulching with humus. In the future, the land should not be cultivated, and care consists only of periodic mulching and watering during prolonged drought.
Blue spruce 
Blue spruce
As can be seen from the photo and description of the blue spruce, this beauty will decorate your garden for many years. She is an excellent tapeworm who does not need anyone's company. Looks good alone or in a group on a flat lawn. When creating groups, spruce trees should not be planted closer than 3 m from each other, so that there is no shading and the trees have low, dense crowns.
These photos show blue spruce varieties that are most popular among gardeners:
Blue spruce 
Blue spruce
Healing properties of spruce
Spruce is not only an ornamental, but also a useful plant in the garden and on personal plots.
The healing properties of spruce are well known. Moreover, the common spruce is recognized as the leader in this regard among all species. The needles, young shoots and young cones are medicinal. They are rich in essential and tannin substances, resins, vitamins, microelements, phytoncides and fatty oils.
Various inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system and urinary tract, as well as sinusitis and other diseases in the nasopharynx. Baths made from spruce branches and buds are used for skin diseases, gout, arthritis and arthrosis.
Brewing from fresh spruce buds can be consumed as a vitamin tea, which is contraindicated for stomach ulcers. The simplest infusion is prepared by roughly grinding 40 g of pine needles, pouring a glass of boiling water over it, boiling for 20 minutes, then infusing. The resulting infusion is drunk during the day if there is a lack of vitamin C.
Spruce needles contain significant quantities phosphorus, potassium, iron, vitamins. It is especially rich in ascorbic acid and carotene, which makes pine needles an excellent raw material for the production of special preventive pastes for scurvy and periodontal disease, pine extracts for baths and medicinal chlorophyll-carotene preparations.
Camphor is obtained from the essential oil of spruce, which is indispensable for heart ailments. Inhalations of essential oil of pine needles cure catarrhal conditions of the throat and bronchi.
The ecological significance of spruce is also important. Air pollution, especially urban air pollution, currently exceeds all existing standards. The needles take on a filtering role in gas exchange atmospheric air. Dust particles along with harmful microorganisms settle and become fixed in the waxy coating of pine needles.
Air saturated with coniferous secretions has a beneficial effect on the body, improving breathing and blood circulation, and even heals a sick human psyche.
Phytoncides released by pine needles help clean the air even in polluted places. At the same time, the spruce itself feels good. It has straight trunks, dense foliage, and low-hanging crowns.