Looking for an evergreen to add to your landscaping? One that combines beauty, toughness and adaptability? Then Picea abies – otherwise known as the Norway Spruce – might be the tree for you and your landscaping.

Despite the name, the Norway Spruce can be found in the U.S. throughout New England, the Great Lakes region, the mid-south, and parts of southern Alabama and Georgia. While it’s not native to Missouri, the Norway Spruce has fast become a popular tree throughout the state in recent years as homeowners have found it to be a relatively fast-growing, hardy and nearly maintenance-free.

What Do Norway Spruce Look Like?

A mature Norway Spruce is an impressive tree. These conifers can reach a height of between 60 to 100 feet in an optimum habitat. Their trunks can grow to approximately five feet in diameter with brown, vertical-lined bark. A Norway Spruce cone is typically four to six inches in length, featuring blunt of sharp triangular scale tips. Cones are red or green prior to pollination, turning brown post-pollination.

These magnificent evergreens are notable for their long, swooping branches with slightly drooping branchlets and a graceful, pointed crown. The Norway Spruce flowers in the spring, with distinctive pink flowers. Their needles tend to be dark green in color, which, combined with their height and breadth, gives these conifers an unmistakable visual presence in nearly any setting.

Where Do They Grow Best?

While not native to Missouri, the Norway Spruce thrives in the soil and weather found throughout the state. These trees like humidity and moist soil. They also like sunlight, though they grow well in partially shaded conditions. They tolerate the occasional harsh, low temperatures often found for periods of time during midwestern winters. They tend to develop shallow but extensive root systems, giving them the ability to find and absorb water and nutrients from wide expanses of soil. These root systems mean they do not do well with other trees and shrubs growing beneath their driplines.

With regard to weather, Norway Spruce prefers conditions normally found in the upper Midwest and New England, which tend to be cooler than those typically found in the St. Louis area and throughout Missouri. However, they tolerate the summer heat well, especially if hydrated either through rain or irrigation. A stout and hardy tree, the Norway Spruce is capable of weathering windstorms common in Missouri during the spring.

What Are The Main Threats To Norway Spruce Trees?

The Norway Spruce is widely regarded as an extremely hardy species with few, if any, issues with pests. Common pests such as the leaf miner, galls, lace bugs, borers, caterpillars and weevils rarely post a serious threat to the Norway Spruce, especially to mature, healthy trees. It’s also at low risk from diseases including shoestring root rot, anthracnose, leaf blister, cankers, , and powdery mildew, which afflict many species of trees in Missouri. This species’ only serious threats are from the green spruce aphid infestations and conifer root and butt rot.

How Should The Norway Spruce Be Used In Landscaping?

If you’re considering including the Norway Spruce in your landscaping, it’s important to know two of its key attributes.

First, the Norway Spruce is a species that tolerates transplantation extremely well. This means it’s not necessary to transplant this species only as a sapling. More mature Norway Spruce trees can and often are successfully transplanted by homeowners.

Second, the Norway Spruce is a fast-growing species. Homeowners who plant a young Norway Spruce or a stand of them will not have to wait decades to enjoy mature trees.

Given their shallow, spreading root system, they require their own space, with minimal or no trees or shrubs growing beneath their spreading branches. Their thick branch systems and dense needles make them ideal for use as a privacy screen, windbreak or sound buffer.

Is The Norway Spruce Right For You And Your Home? Consult With The Experts At Hansen’s Tree Service Today!

Our certified arborists are experts at assessing which species of tree best meets a homeowner’s objectives and environment. Their extensive experience with hundreds of tree species can make a crucial difference when it comes to helping you decide which trees are right for you. Chances are that the Norway Spruce is just one of many trees that will help you beautify and get the most out of your property.

Contact us today and let our insured, experienced professionals take care of all your tree-related needs!