Spruce
Also known as: Picea · Spruce fir · True spruce
27 types of spruce
Black Hills Spruce
also: Picea glauca 'Densata', Picea glauca Densata
Compact, slow-growing variety of white spruce from the Black Hills.
Black Spruce
also: Picea mariana
Boreal spruce with short needles and small cones; key pulp species.
Blue Spruce AZ Apache
also: Picea pungens var. glauca AZ Apache
Colorado blue spruce seed source from the Apache Mountains, Arizona.
Blue Spruce AZ Kaibab
also: Picea pungens var. glauca AZ Kaibab
Colorado blue spruce seed source from the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona.
Blue Spruce CO Dolores
also: Picea pungens var. glauca CO, Dolores
Colorado blue spruce seed source near Dolores, Colorado.
Blue Spruce CO San Juan
also: Picea pungens var. glauca CO San Juan
Colorado blue spruce seed source from the San Juan Mountains, Colorado.
Blue Spruce NM Pagosa
also: Picea pungens var. glauca NM Pagosa
Colorado blue spruce seed source from the Pagosa Springs area, New Mexico.
Blue Spruce NM Santa Fe
also: Picea pungens var. glauca NM Santa Fe
Colorado blue spruce seed source from the Santa Fe area, New Mexico.
Brewer Spruce
also: Picea breweriana, Brewer's Spruce, Weeping Spruce
Rare Siskiyou Mountains spruce famous for long weeping branchlets.
Chihuahua Spruce
also: Picea chihuahuana, Cahuite
Endangered Mexican spruce with long, shiny green needles.
Dragon Spruce
also: Picea asperata
Chinese spruce with sharp blue-green needles and rough bark.
Engelmann Spruce
also: Picea engelmannii, Mountain Spruce
High-elevation Rocky Mountain spruce with bluish needles and papery cones.
Himalayan Spruce
also: Picea smithiana, Morinda Spruce
Himalayan spruce with long, drooping branchlets and cylindrical cones.
Jezo Spruce
also: Picea jezoensis, Ezo Spruce, Yezo Spruce
Northeast Asian spruce with reddish-brown bark and slender cones.
Korean Spruce
also: Picea koraiensis
Korean Peninsula spruce with violet cones when young.
Lijiang Spruce
also: Picea likiangensis
Yunnan spruce of high mountain forests in southwest China.
Lutz Spruce
also: Picea x lutzii
Natural hybrid of white and Sitka spruce from coastal Alaska and BC.
Meyer's Spruce
also: Picea meyeri
Chinese spruce with blue-green foliage and dense habit.
Norway Spruce
also: Picea abies, European Spruce, North America Norway Spruce
Classic pyramidal landscape spruce with drooping branchlets; cones hang downward.
Oriental Spruce
also: Picea orientalis, Caucasian Spruce
Caucasian/Middle Eastern spruce with very short, dark needles.
Qinghai Spruce
also: Picea crassifolia, Thick-leaf Spruce
Cold-hardy Asian spruce with thick, four-sided needles.
Schrenk's Spruce
also: Picea schrenkiana
Central Asian spruce of high mountain valleys with long needles.
Serbian Spruce
also: Picea omorika
Narrow, elegant Balkan spruce with dark green needles and white stomatal bands.
Siberian Spruce
also: Picea obovata
Wide-ranging northern spruce across Siberia and into Europe.
Sitka Spruce
also: Picea sitchensis
Coastal Pacific Northwest giant — largest spruce species; valuable timber.
White Spruce
also: Picea glauca, Lake States Spruce
Boreal North American spruce with sharp, four-sided needles and fragrant foliage.
Wilson's Spruce
also: Picea wilsonii
Chinese spruce named for plant explorer Ernest Wilson.
When & where
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Cold-moist stratify seed 30–60 days (some species up to 90) or fall-sow outdoors. Sow in deep pots to accommodate the taproot. Keep moist but not soggy and provide bright light after germination.
Pre-sow treatment
Cold-moist stratification 30–90 days before sowing improves germination.
Grower's tip
Most conifers grow best from fresh seed; viability drops quickly if seed dries out.
Soil preferences
Deep, well-drained native soil. Avoid amending the planting hole heavily — roots should learn to grow into the surrounding earth.
5.5–7.5 depending on species (conifers lean acidic; most hardwoods neutral).
Top-dress with compost and mulch in a wide ring; don't backfill with pure compost.
Watering
Deep soak weekly the first two years while roots establish; taper once the tree self-supports.
Slow trickle at the drip line, not the trunk. A 5-gal bucket with a pinhole is ideal.
Overwatered: yellowing, root rot, mushroom collar. Underwatered: leaf scorch, early leaf drop.
Prefers top-watering — Trees are always top-watered — deep slow soak at the drip line, never at the trunk. Bottom-watering only makes sense for nursery seedlings.
Temperature tolerance
Broad — most species tolerate 40–90°F once established
Down to species-rated USDA zone minimum
Hardy once established; young seedlings need protection their first winter.
Special germination requirements
Most temperate tree seed needs cold stratification (30–120+ days at 34–41°F) — see each species entry for the exact time.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
Deep tree pots (root trainers) for the first 1–2 seasons; permanent site required for full growth.
Only dwarf, patio, or bonsai forms live long-term in containers.
Detailed harvesting
Not applicable for ornamental/timber trees. Nut and fruit species — pick when they drop naturally.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Nuts: keep damp and cool, sow promptly. Winged/coned seed: dry, cool, dark in a sealed jar.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Shade, windbreak, wildlife habitat, timber, ornament, and long-term carbon storage.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Wind- or insect-pollinated; seedlings rarely match the parent exactly (especially named cultivars — those must be grafted or cutting-grown).
Not practical for trees. Expect variation.
Collect fully ripe seed in fall, clean, dry or keep damp per species, then cold-stratify before spring sowing.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for spruce in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
From your kitchen — grow spruce from what you already have
Trees usually mean patience — collect fully ripe seed in fall, clean pulp off, and give most species a cold winter (real or in the fridge) before they'll germinate.
- 1Collect ripe seed/nuts/cones in autumn from a healthy parent.
- 2Clean off any fleshy pulp; dry cones warm to release seed.
- 3Cold-stratify in a bag of damp sand or peat in the fridge (34–41°F) for the time listed on the species.
- 4Sow in deep tree pots and grow on 1–2 seasons before planting to a permanent spot.
Storage: Most tree seed keeps 1–3 years cool and dry; oak/hickory/chestnut nuts must stay damp and be sown promptly.
My Spruce notes
Spruce seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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