Picea glauca (White Spruce) is a coniferous evergreen that is native to colder regions of North America. White Spruce enjoys cold, moist locations that get lots of sun. In exchange, the tree provides a low-maintenance, ornamental that produces a strong timber and young shoots that can be used to make beer.
Suitable for Sub-arctic, Cold and Temperate climates.
Other common names for Picea glauca include Skunk Spruce, Cat Spruce, Western White Spruce, Black Hills Spruce, Porsild Spruce and Canadian Spruce. The native range stretches as far wide as Alaska right across the top of North America to Newfoundland on Canada’s eastern coastline. There are few hardier trees than the White Spruce with an extreme minimum temperature as low as −56°C (−69°F).
For more varieties that are ideal for bonsai growing click here.
Growth
Picea glauca is an evergreen spruce tree that grows to a maximum height of 40 metres (130 feet) and a maximum width of 5 metres (16 feet) although usually reaches no higher than 30 metres (100 feet). The White Spruce grows well where the soils are moist year round but not soaking wet and is extremely hardy for cold and frost environments.
Leaves are needle-like, a glaucous blue-green and grow to short length of 20mm (almost an inch). Young trees have narrow crowns that are conical but become cylindrical as they age. The beer-producing young shoots are pale brown and are either pubescent or glabrous.
Cones are pendulous, small, slender and cylindrical growing to 7cm (3 inches) and begin green or reddish before becoming a pale brown around 6 months after pollination.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Pinaceae
CLIMATE:
Sub-Arctic, Cold and Temperate climate
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-55 to 30°C / -70 to 85°F
SOIL TYPE:
Soil must be well draining.
LOCATION:
Full Sun – Part Shade
HEIGHT:
Up to 40 metres (130 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 5 metres (16 feet)
pH:
4.0-5.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Evergreen
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Low-Medium
POLLINATION:
Wind Pollinated
MATURITY:
20-30 Years
GERMINATION RATES:
70-80%
GERMINATION TIME:
Soak for 24 hours
Cold Stratification for 6 weeks, post sowing germination averages around 4-6 weeks.
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Medium-Hard
SEEDS PER GRAM:
300
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
No.
SEED STORGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 4 years.
FACTS ABOUT PICEA GLAUCA (White Spruce)
A bushel (about 35 litres) of White Spruce cones may contain up to 8000 cones and yield around 550 grams of clean seed.
Picea glauca trees can live for several hundred years with an average lifespan of 250 to 300 years.
In Canada, the tree is used to harvest paper and for construction purposes as well as being a popular choice as a Christmas tree. White Spruce is the state tree of South Dakota, USA and the provincial tree of Manitoba in Canada.
New growth and tips of White Spruce trees are used to make beer, gin and for flavouring soda, candy and in pickles or preserves. For more information regarding the White Spruce tree click here.
