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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Norway spruce

Picea abies

Picea Abies female cone. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Picea Abies female cone. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sunTilo Podner ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Large reliable screen for cool well-drained sites; allow full mature spread.

Sun Exposure
Full sun
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
50–70
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
25–35
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Single angular needles on woody pegs

Identification clue 2

Long hanging cones

Identification clue 3

Often drooping side branchlets

Read the leaves

Roll a needle gently between fingers: its angular cross-section differs from flat fir or hemlock needles.

More growing details

Read the bark

Reddish-gray bark develops thin irregular scales.

Fruit & seed

Long cylindrical cones hang downward and fall substantially intact.

Winter character

Rough twigs retain woody needle pegs after needles drop.

Origin & place

An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.

Compare with Fraser fir

Fir needles are flat and attach without woody pegs; fir cones stand upright and disintegrate on the tree.

WNC Notes

Large reliable screen for cool well-drained sites; allow full mature spread.

Sun Exposure

Full sun

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

50–70

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

25–35

BLOOM SEASON

Spring

BLOOM COLOR

Inconspicuous

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Evergreen

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Moderate

Drought Tolerance

Moderate

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Picea Abies female cone. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Picea Abies female cone. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sunTilo Podner ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Norway Spruce cones (Picea_abies) — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Norway Spruce cones (Picea_abies) — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sunMrPanyGoff ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.

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