Norway Spruce             PI-see-a A-beez

• Conifer, evergreen tree, 40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall, pyramidal with drooping branches, stiff when young more, graceful later.  However, at maturity it may thin and be open, which some consider " unsightly".  Needles bright to dark green, stiff, sharp pointed, 12-25 mm long, arranged all around the stem, 4-sided with stomatal lines on each side.  Cones hang down, cylindrical, 10-15 cm long by about 4 cm wide, light brown at maturity.
• Sun.  Prefers moderately moist, sandy, acid, well-drained soil, grows in average soil if it has sufficient moisture.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 2      Native to northern and central Europe.  This species is the typical 'Christmas Tree' in Britain.
• Numerous cultivars (over 150!) have originated from mutations in this species, dwarf forms often developed from a "witches' broom", essentially a dense mass of shoots arising from the same point.   This type of abnormal growth may be caused by biological or environmental factors.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: in the "arboretum" (tree # 60) south of Moreland Hall .