Spruce - description, species, where it grows, reproduction, photo. Varieties of common spruce: photos and descriptions Is spruce a flowering plant or not?

Spruce belongs to the genus Picea (resinous plants) of the pine family. It is distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to the south. About 50 species of spruce are known, their photos and descriptions can be found on this page.

In the European part, up to 10 species of spruce grow, and there are a great variety of them. But mainly five types of decorative spruce trees are used in landscaping.

This crop is a monoecious evergreen tree with a cone-shaped crown, gray bark and dense needles. The root system is superficial. The virtues of all decorative forms spruce trees is that they form a crown naturally and do not need pruning.

Common spruce is a tree up to 40 m tall with a trunk up to 1-1.5 m in diameter. The crown is cone-shaped, with distant or drooping branches, rising at the end, and remains sharp until the end of life.

The bark of Norway spruce is reddish-brown
The bark of the common spruce is gray

The bark of the common form of spruce is reddish-brown or gray, smooth or fissured, of varying degrees and nature of fissuring, and relatively thin.

spruce shoots
spruce shoots

The shoots are light brown or rusty yellow, glabrous. Buds are 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovoid-cone-shaped, pointed at the apex, light brown; their scales are bluntly triangular, light or reddish brown.

Spruce needles
Spruce needles

The needles are 8-20 mm long, 1-1.8 mm wide, tetrahedral in shape, have a sharp apex, with 2-4 stomatal lines on each side, dark green, shiny; the needles last 6-7 (up to 10-12) years.

Spruce cones
Spruce cones

The cones are 10-16 cm long and 3-4 cm thick, oblong-ovate, initially light green or dark purple, brown when mature. The seed scales are obovate, slightly longitudinally folded, convex, notched along the upper edge, sometimes truncated.

Spruce seeds
Spruce seeds

The seeds are 2-5 mm long, brown or dark brown, with a light brown wing that is about 3 times larger than the seed. The seeds open and disperse in the second half of winter.

Spruce
Spruce

Lives in nature for 250-300 years. The annual growth is 50 cm in height and 15 cm in width. Up to 10-15 years it grows slowly, then quickly.

Grows wildly in Europe and Asia. Very demanding on soil moisture and composition. Does not tolerate sandy loam. It grows satisfactorily only in low areas. Very sensitive to air pollution.

All varieties of common spruce are not plants for the garden. It is attractive only at a young age, and over the years it loses its decorative effect, stretches out, and thins out. They represent value various shapes common spruce, which has bushy, spherical, weeping crowns.

It is better to use decorative forms of this spruce in the garden: below are the names and descriptions of the most popular of them.

Spruce "Echiniformis" in the photo

"Echiniformis" (spinate). Dwarf, slow-growing form, reaching 20 cm in height and 40 cm in width. This variety of common spruce has a cushion-shaped crown, unevenly developed in different directions. The shoots are light brown, glabrous, slightly shiny, hard, and relatively thick. Annual growth is 15-20 mm. The buds are light brown, large, cylindrical, rounded.

As you can see in the photo, this variety of common spruce has yellow-green to gray-green needles, the lower needles are flat with a short sharp tip, the upper ones are star-shaped, located under the terminal cone:

Varieties of common spruce
Varieties of common spruce

Spruce "Compacta" in the photo

"Compact". Dwarf form, usually about 1.5-2 m tall. Old plants sometimes reach 6 m in height with the same crown width. The shoots are numerous, short, raised and brown in the upper part of the crown. The needles are about 9 mm long, shorter towards the top of the shoot, shiny, green.

"Nidiformis" (nest-shaped). Dwarf form, slightly higher than 1 m, wide, dense. The crown is cushion-shaped, flattened, which is obtained in the form of a nest due to the shoots growing obliquely from the middle of the plant and the absence of main branches. The branches grow evenly, fan-shaped and trumpet-shaped. There are numerous shoots. Annual growth is 3-4 cm. The needles are light green, flat, with 1-2 stomatal lines, which are a distinctive feature, 7-10 mm long. Very effective for low borders, in small groups created on parterres and rock gardens. Currently one of the most common dwarf forms.

Here you can see photos of varieties ordinary type spruce trees, the names of which are given above:

Varieties of Norway spruce
Varieties of Norway spruce

Canadian spruce in the photo

Canadian spruce– a tree 20-35 m tall, with a trunk 60-120 cm in diameter, with a dense regular cone-shaped dense crown. The branches of young plants are directed upward, while those of old ones are mostly downward and flat.

The bark is smooth or scaly, ash-brown. Young shoots are yellowish or whitish-light brown, glabrous. Buds up to 6 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, almost spherical, non-resinous; their scales are blunt-ovoid, light brown, shiny.

The needles are 8-18 mm long, about 1.5 mm wide, tetrahedral, bluish-green, densely spaced and rather hard, slightly curved, smell quite sharp when rubbed, the needles last up to 11 years.

Look at the photo - this type of decorative spruce has ovoid-cylindrical cones, up to 7 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm thick, light green until ripe, mature - light brown:

Decorative spruce cones
Decorative spruce cones

The seed scales are thin and elastic, solid along the upper edge.

The seeds are 2-3 mm long, light brown, with an orange-brown wing 3 times the length of the seed. The cones ripen in September.

Winter-hardy and quite drought-resistant. Lives up to 300-500 years.

All varieties of Canadian spruce are recommended for single and group plantings; dwarf forms are promising for rocky hills. It grows successfully in both maritime and continental climates. Quite drought resistant. Not picky about soils, tolerates the poor and sandy soils. It resists winds well and is used as a windproof. Less sensitive to gases and smoke than European spruce.

Currently, about 20 decorative forms of this type of spruce have been described; you can find a description of the most popular of them below.

Spruce "Konika" in the photo

The most amazing variety - "Konica". If everyone knows the blue spruce, then the other Christmas tree, which dendrologists briefly call “konica”, i.e. conical, still rare.

"Konica" is a mutation of Canada spruce, native to the east North America. It differs from its ancestor not only in its miniature size, its height rarely exceeds 2 m, but also in its surprisingly dense crown cone and soft light green needles.

By the middle of the last century, the Canadian spruce variety “Konica” conquered the whole world, settling in the gardens of countries with a temperate climate and developed ornamental gardening.

Its real discovery in Russia occurred only relatively recently, along with the rapid development of ornamental gardening, when Konika seedlings large quantities began to come to us from Holland, Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries Western Europe, where its reproduction has long been established. "Konica" propagates exclusively by cuttings, as it does not bear fruit.

IN middle lane In Russia it is quite winter-hardy. But in urban conditions it is less stable than prickly spruce. With strong gas pollution, the decorativeness of the Christmas tree is reduced.

It grows slowly, which garden design is a virtue. At five years old, the Christmas tree reaches a height of 20 cm and already at this age its decorative properties are strikingly superior to even-aged seedlings of common spruce. By the age of ten, “Konika” reaches an average height of 80 cm and is completely decorative. And by the age of 20, its height is usually 150 cm, the diameter at the base is about a meter.

“Konica” should be planted in open places, protected from cold winds, with cultivated, light loamy soil. Caring for it may be limited to watering during dry periods.

The development of the Christmas tree, and therefore its decorativeness, is facilitated by periodic surface loosening and mulching of the tree trunk circle with rotted organic matter. Mulching is best done in early autumn, and in spring the mulch should be incorporated shallowly into the soil.

In favorable conditions, “Konika” retains its high decorative value until old age. It does not need pruning or shaping. Like the blue spruce, it is designed to play the role of tapeworm in decorative design and just a godsend for a small garden.

This Christmas tree fits well into large rock gardens, it is desirable in the background flower arrangements, harmoniously combines with other low conifers. Looks especially elegant on the lawn. At the same time, it is advisable to plant it in an even row of three or more plants or in a group of several Christmas trees.

Among other decorative forms, “Aurea” is known, characterized by strong growth. The needles on the upper side are golden in color.

Spruce "Aureaspicata"
Spruce "Aureaspicata"

"Aureaspicata". The form is distinguished by the yellow color of the needles and young shoots, which persists only in summer, but later they turn green.

"Elegance Compacta". The crown is conical, but the growth is stronger than that of "Konika", young shoots and buds are yellow-brown, the needles are fresh green, 8-10 mm long, annual growth is 5-4 cm.

"Nana" (low). Dwarf form up to 1-2 m high. The crown is wide, rounded. The branches are dense, numerous, unevenly spaced, gray, very flexible. Annual growth is 2.5-4.5 cm.

Pay attention to the photo - this variety of Canadian spruce has radial needles, 5-7 mm long, thin, hard, gray-blue:

Canadian spruce needles
Canadian spruce needles

The culture is winter-hardy. Propagated by cuttings.

"Pendula"- weeping form, has strongly drooping branches, branches abundantly, needles are densely located on the branches, bluish-green.

Among the forms with blue needles worthy of attention:

Spruce "Alberta Blue"
Spruce "Arenson Blue"

"Alberta Blue", "Arenson Blue",

Spruce "Cerulea"
Spruce "Sunder Blue"

"Cerulea", "Sunder Blue".

All of them have dwarf growth and retain the color of their needles well in open sunny places: alpine slides, heather gardens. They are suitable for growing in containers.

Speaking about what rare types of spruce there are, it is worth mentioning the Engelmann and Schrenk forms.

Engelman spruce in the photo

Engelman spruce- native to North America. In terms of the slenderness of the crown, this is the most decorative spruce. The tree amazes with its grace and healthy appearance. Even the very lower branches are never bare. It is very resistant to unfavorable urban conditions and soil and climatic influences. When describing Engelmann spruce, it is definitely worth mentioning its qualities such as winter hardiness, shade tolerance and drought resistance.

It has many decorative forms that are widely used in landscaping.

Spruce "Glauka" in the photo

Most Popular "Glauka" (gray). Tree 20-40 m tall, with a dense cone-shaped crown, without a clear horizontal layering of branches. The needles are less prickly, more flexible and less spaced than those of prickly spruce, bluish-blue, the color is especially clear early spring.

As you can see in the photo, the Engelmann spruce needles in winter are not so attractive, but still decorative:

Engelman spruce
Engelman spruce

Grows quickly. Winter-hardy. Propagated by seeds, cuttings, grafting. Recommended for single, group and alley plantings in large gardens.

Schrenk's spruce, or Tien Shan, is a powerful tree with a narrow cone-shaped crown, a sharp top and branches hanging to the ground. The needles are light green or bluish. Light-loving, not demanding on soils, but moisture-loving and low frost-resistant.

Look at the photo - this type of spruce has high decorative qualities, which makes it desirable in garden compositions, and its slow growth in the first years of life allows it to be formed into dense hedges:

Spruce in the form of a hedge
Spruce in the form of a hedge

It has a spherical shape - a tree up to 1.8 m tall with a rounded crown.

Prickly spruce in the photo

Prickly spruce. Among the numerous representatives of the genus, it stands out for its slenderness and beauty, undemandingness to growing conditions, frost resistance and resistance to air pollution, surpassing many of its brethren in this indicator.

Decorative at any time of the year. The most valuable evergreen tree up to 25 m, lives up to 100 years.

The crown is pyramidal. The branches form regular dense tiers, horizontal or hanging at different angles. Particularly beautiful are specimens in which the branches are evenly spaced in regular tiers around the trunk from the very ground to the top.

The needles are prickly, their color varies from green to light blue, silver, up to 2.5 cm long. Under good growing conditions, the needles live 5-7 years, more often 3-4 years.

The breed is considered resistant to dust and smoke, but in urban conditions it must be washed with water at least 5 times a month. Photophilous. Demanding on soil fertility and moisture, but does not tolerate too much fertile soil and waterlogging.

Tolerates pruning well. Propagated by seeds and grafting.

It is recommended to plant some distance from roads and industrial enterprises, against the backdrop of a lawn, preferably in illuminated areas. Usually single specimens or small groups are planted in the front places of the garden. It is especially good in combination with Serbian spruce, pseudo-hemlock, plain fir, etc.

Popular forms of prickly spruce are described below:

Spruce "Argentea"
Spruce "Argentea"

"Argentea" (silver). A straight-trunked tree 30-40 m tall with a cone-shaped crown and clearly spaced horizontal branches. The needles are silvery-white, a light waxy coating remains on old plants, young needles have a soft green color with a whitish tint. Widely used in landscaping, in single and group plantings;

Spruce "Glauka"
Spruce "Glauka"

"Glauka" (gray). It differs from the main species in its bluish-green needles, which retain their color throughout the year. The lifespan of needles of this variety of prickly spruce is 3-10 years, depending on conditions. Plant height is 20 m. Annual growth is more than 30 cm. The crown is symmetrical, cone-shaped. The shoots reach the ground and are arranged in tiers almost horizontally. Branches do not break under the weight of wet snow. Suitable for creating large arrays, small clumps, for single plantings;

Spruce "Glauka Globoza" in the photo

"Glauca Globosa" (blue spherical). Dwarf form up to 1 m tall and up to 1.5 m in diameter. Young shoots are yellowish-brownish and thin. The crown is rounded, dense only in old age.

Pay attention to the photo - this variety of prickly spruce has thick, slightly crescent-shaped, blue-white needles, about 1 cm long and 1 mm thick:

Prickly needles
Prickly needles

"Hoopsie." The height of the tree is 12-15 m, the diameter of the crown is 3-4.5 m. The crown is evenly branched, very dense. The annual growth is 12-20 cm, the branches are horizontally spaced from the trunk. The shoots are light red-brown, the apical buds are ovoid, 1 cm long. Scales are short, bent. The needles are needle-shaped, hard, sharp, bluish-white, 2-3 cm long, directed forward, thick, last 4-6 years.

"Bonfire". Tree 10-15 m tall, with drooping weeping branches. The crown diameter is 4-5 m. The needles are slightly sickle-shaped, bluish-green with a light waxy coating, thin, sickle-shaped, short, 20-25 mm long. The silver-blue color of the needles remains in winter. Young shoots are orange-brown. The trunks are bent. One of the most famous blue forms of prickly spruce. The crown is evenly developed, conical. Recommended for solitary and group plantings near houses, for decorating ceremonial places.

"Moerhaimi." Strongly and unevenly growing, narrow-conical shape. The needles are 20-30 mm long, adjacent. In the second year it becomes an intense silvery blue.

As you can see in the photo, the color of the needles of this variety of prickly spruce does not change in winter:

Spruce in winter
Spruce in winter

The branches are short and horizontal. The apical bud is 10-15 mm long, blunt, yellow-brown. The lateral buds are very different and are located spirally below the apical bud. The scales at the apex are strongly deflected.

"Moll". Dwarf form, grows slowly. At 20 years of age, the height is about 1 m. The annual growth is 3-5 cm, the crown is broadly conical and very densely branched. The shoots are yellow-brown. The needles are beautiful, bluish-white, 10-15 mm long and 1 mm thick.

"Montgomery." Dwarf form, slow-growing, very squat, at 35 years of age the height and diameter of the crown is 1.8 m, annual growth is about 6 cm, shoots are yellow-brown, buds are ovoid, yellow-brown, scales are bent. The needles are 18-20 mm long, gray-blue, sharp.

"Oldenburg". Tree 10-15 (20) m high, with a crown diameter of 5-7 m. The crown is conical. The bark is brownish-gray, flaky, the shoots are orange-brown.

The photo shows that this variety of prickly spruce has needle-shaped, dense, hard, prickly, steel-blue needles:

Prickly spruce
Prickly spruce

It stays very firmly on the branches. Grows quickly. Annual growth is 30-35 cm in height, 15 cm in width. Photophilous. It is undemanding to soils, but grows better on chernozems and loams and tolerates temporary excess moisture. Frost-resistant, tolerates frost well. Application: single plantings, groups.

In this section of the article you can see photos and descriptions of the blue spruce species from the Pine family.

Blue spruce in the photo

The blue spruce tree is an evergreen coniferous tree, 25-30 m high, rarely up to 46 meters. The trunk diameter is up to 1.5 meters. The bark is thin and scaly. The crown is narrow-conical in young trees, and becomes cylindrical in old ones. The needles are 15-30 mm long, rhombic in cross-section. The needles of blue spruce deserve a special description - the color of the needles of this plant species ranges from grayish-green to bright blue.

The crown is conical, compact, the needles are tetrahedral, dense, very prickly. The bark of the trunks and branches is grayish-brown, initially smooth, later fissured.

In the photo

Decorative blue spruce cones are slightly cylindrical, 6-11 cm long and 2 cm wide when closed, up to 4 cm when open. The color of the cones is from reddish to purple, the mature cone is light brown. The seeds are black, 3-4 mm long with a light brown wing 10-13 mm long.

Look at the photo - blue spruce has cylindrical cones, up to 9 cm long, light brown, ripen in the first year:

Decorative blue spruce cones
Decorative blue spruce cones

Blue spruce is one of the hardiest spruce trees in all respects. It is inferior to common spruce only in shade tolerance. But it is extremely resistant to atmospheric pollution, frost-resistant, drought-resistant, and very unpretentious to soil conditions.

However, the best development and more decorative effect Blue spruce reaches its species on fertile structural loams, in full light.

This tree has a pronounced root core, which makes it drought-resistant. And yet, in the first 6-8 years, seedlings should be watered 2-3 times during the summer, and in case of drought, be sure to water them at least once a week. This will allow the trees to grow stronger. The greatest increases in height in blue spruce plants are observed after 8-10 years. And by 20-25 years the trees are already fully formed. The first cones can sometimes be seen on 15-year-old trees.

Until the age of 8-10 years, it is better to keep the tree trunk under black fallow, mulching with humus. In the future, the land should not be cultivated, and care consists only of periodic mulching and watering during prolonged drought.

Blue spruce
Blue spruce

As can be seen from the photo and description of the blue spruce, this beauty will decorate your garden for many years. She is an excellent tapeworm who does not need anyone's company. Looks good alone or in a group on a flat lawn. When creating groups, spruce trees should not be planted closer than 3 m from each other, so that there is no shading and the trees have low, dense crowns.

These photos show blue spruce varieties that are most popular among gardeners:

Blue spruce
Blue spruce

Healing properties of spruce

Spruce is not only decorative, but also useful plant in the garden and on personal plots.

The healing properties of spruce are well known. Moreover, the common spruce is recognized as the leader in this regard among all species. The needles, young shoots and young cones are medicinal. They are rich in essential and tannin substances, resins, vitamins, microelements, phytoncides and fatty oils.

Various inflammatory diseases of the respiratory and urinary tract, as well as sinusitis and other diseases in the nasopharynx area are treated with spruce preparations and decoctions. Baths made from spruce branches and buds are used for skin diseases, gout, arthritis and arthrosis.

Brewing from fresh spruce buds can be consumed as a vitamin tea, which is contraindicated for stomach ulcers. The simplest infusion is prepared by roughly grinding 40 g of pine needles, pouring a glass of boiling water over it, boiling for 20 minutes, then infusing. The resulting infusion is drunk during the day if there is a lack of vitamin C.

Spruce needles contain significant quantities of phosphorus, potassium, iron, and vitamins. It is especially rich in ascorbic acid and carotene, which makes pine needles an excellent raw material for the production of special preventive pastes against scurvy and periodontal disease, pine extracts for baths and medicinal chlorophyll-carotene preparations.

From essential oil Spruce trees receive camphor, which is indispensable for heart ailments. Inhalations of essential oil of pine needles cure catarrhal conditions of the throat and bronchi.

The ecological significance of spruce is also important. Air pollution, especially urban air pollution, currently exceeds all existing standards. The needles take on a filtering role in the gas exchange of atmospheric air. Dust particles along with harmful microorganisms settle and become fixed in the waxy coating of pine needles.

Air saturated with coniferous secretions has a beneficial effect on the body, improving breathing and blood circulation, and even heals the sick human psyche.

Phytoncides released by pine needles help clean the air even in polluted places. At the same time, the spruce itself feels good. It has straight trunks, dense foliage, and low-hanging crowns.

Spruce is the “queen” of the forest, leading the popularity rating among masters of landscape art. This sacred tree, acting as a talisman for the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but also for its extraordinary decorativeness. Needle-like foliage in emerald, dark green and even blue shades can transform plant compositions, adding a unique twist to the landscape design of the site.

Options for using spruce in landscape design

It’s rare that anyone can remain indifferent to the luxury of color and frozen beauty of conifer needles. It is not surprising that spruce is used quite often in landscaping. It looks great as container planting for framing. garden paths and when designing rocky gardens.

Ephedra is ideal for creating multi-level compositions, harmoniously combining with low-growing shrubs and beautiful flowering perennials

Trees with needle-like foliage of a rich green hue look interesting in combination bright flowers annual and perennial plants. Perfect for creating compositions: Japanese anemones, pansies, aquilegias, phloxes and hostas. Conifers are an ideal basis for creating evergreen sculptures that can make appearance the garden is richer and more colorful.

Among the main advantages of using spruce in the design of a site, it is worth highlighting:

1. The ephedra will delight you with its rich shades of needle-like greenery in the summer, without fading under the sun's rays, and winter period, contrasting with the whiteness of the snow.
2. The phytoncides released by the plant can productively purify the air, having a healing effect on the human body.
3. Spruce is great for any style of landscape design.
4. Fluffy branches are convenient to use in making crafts: creating paintings, herbariums, New Year's compositions.

But spruce, like any other plant, has its drawbacks. For example, this conifer is capable of growing strongly, darkening the area and depleting the soil. Therefore, spruce species that have a dwarf shape are used to decorate gardens.

Spruce is also convenient because it is easy to trim. Thanks to this, giving the crown unique shape even an experienced gardener has no problems

It is advisable to plant spruce along the fence. In a short period of time, the conifer grows into a magnificent shape, and its thick paws form a solid and dense wall.

Variety of decorative forms

There are more than 20 types of spruce trees in modern parks and gardens. The main thing when choosing the type of conifer is the configuration of its crown and the size of the plant in adulthood.

In landscape design, 3 types of spruce trees are most widespread:

1. Ordinary – type species, represented by more than 50 garden forms. Low-growing forms created on its basis reach a height of 1.2 m, and medium-sized ones reach 3 or more meters. A wide range of colors of needles, starting from golden and ending with rich green, on branches collected in pyramidal or cushion-shaped crowns, makes conifers of this species welcome guests in garden plots.
2. Barbed– more than 70 varieties are represented in the culture. Most of them are medium- and tall-growing trees up to 40 meters high with a beautiful cone-shaped crown. Although there are also dwarf forms up to 2 m high. The needles are very prickly: hence the name of the species. It can be bluish-white, steel-blue, silver and bluish-green.
3. Gray– has more than 20 decorative forms. The species got its name thanks to ash gray color bark and bluish shade of pine needles. The dwarf forms of this species have a spherical and nest-shaped crown, while the tall ones have a cone-shaped crown. The color palette of needles is quite wide, starting from yellowish-golden and gray-blue and ending with bright green.

Spruces, like any plants, are divided into three groups: dwarf, medium- and tall. When landscaping garden plots, the most popular are dwarf and medium-sized representatives of conifers.

Among the variety of coniferous ornamental plants in landscape design, creeping and dwarf varieties are especially popular

Dwarf varieties

Low-growing forms include plants, the size of which in adulthood is several times smaller in comparison with the original maternal species. For example, in natural conditions The common spruce, called Picea abies, is a 50-meter beauty with a neatly decorated crown, the width of which reaches 8-10 meters.

The decorative form of this tall conifer, known as Picea abies "Nidiformis" or "cushion spruce", reaches no more than two meters in height with a crown width of 2-3 meters.

The main advantage of dwarf forms of conifers is the minimal annual growth of young shoots, which in most cases is limited to 10-15 cm

Among modern varieties created on the basis of Norway spruce, the most decorative ones are conifers, the crowns of which have a nest-like or spherical shape.

The miniature shrub Picea abies “Nidiformis” is perfect for forming low borders and decorating rocky gardens.

The dwarf spruce "Nidiformis" reaches a height of only 40 cm in adulthood, forming a spreading crown with a diameter of up to one meter

The fan-shaped thin graceful shoots of “Nidiformis” are decorated with soft and short needles of a delicate emerald shade.

“Little Gemm” is no less attractive. The shoots extending from the middle of the crown, framed by dark green thin needles, form a neat hemispherical “cushion”. It looks especially interesting in the form of a standard form, planted in a floor container or flowerpot.

The branches of the miniature beauty Picea abies “Little Gem” are covered with soft short needles of a rich dark green hue.

Picea abies “Will’s Zwerg” has a beautiful narrow-conical dense crown shape. The plant is interesting due to the soft green tint of young needles covering the milky shoots, which contrasts favorably against the background of the dark green of old needles. The evergreen shrub is well suited for small home gardens.

Spruce "Will's Zwerg" looks interesting in group compositions and as a solitaire when arranging gardens with a small area

The selectively bred “Glauca Globosa” is famous for its extraordinary decorativeness. dwarf plant does not have a clearly defined trunk. Its spreading branches, studded with millions of thin needles of an elegant silver-blue hue, form a beautiful spherical crown. Cones formed on the branches that resemble New Year decorations, give the tree a special attractiveness.

The blue beauty "Glauca Globosa" is often used to decorate city landscapes, often acting as an elegant addition to park alleys

You can’t ignore the picturesquely creeping along the ground low-growing varieties. The miniature “Nana” resembles a soft pillow, and “Echiniformis” is identified with a kolobok, the round shapes of which act as an original frame for garden paths.

Most types of spruce trees themselves are shade-tolerant, but often their dwarf forms are very sensitive to lack of light.

Medium-sized species

When creating a home garden design, it is also customary to use medium-sized conifers, the height of which reaches no more than 15 m. A low single tree with a clearly defined crown looks picturesque against the background of a lawn “carpet” or the walls of a house. A spectacular driftwood or white stone will help complement the picture.

Spruce trees with spreading crowns can create a shady area for relaxation, filled with a special atmosphere home comfort and unity with wild nature

Blue spruce is one of the most popular types of conifers, revered by designers not only for its ease of care, but also for the fascinating change in shades of needle-like foliage throughout the year. Only 20% of representatives of this species have a pronounced sky color, the rest are rich in green and bluish tones.

Blue beauties are not able to withstand temperature fluctuations in the northern regions and feel comfortable only in temperate latitudes. Spruce with blue needles looks great along garden paths, against the backdrop of wooden buildings or stone buildings.

A prominent representative of this species is Picea pungens “Blue Diamond”, which means “blue diamond”.

The graceful beauty "Blue Diamonds" with a tall thin trunk and a neatly formed conical crown is often used for mixed mixborders.

Help diversify your collection weeping species oil. Considering their desire for the aquatic environment, conifers can be safely used in the design of shores.

Full-size weeping spruce trees reach a height of 10-15 meters with a width of 2-3 meters. Thin branches, hanging down, bend around the curved trunk of the plant, giving it a weeping shape.

Serbian spruce "Glauka Pendula" with flexible thin shoots hanging along the trunk - a win-win option when implementing non-standard solutions in garden compositions

More suitable for our climate Canadian spruce. It is famous for its frost resistance and ease of care. It is interesting for landscape design because it has a decorative conical crown shape, gives a small increase over the year and fits harmoniously into the design of even very small areas.

“Piccolo” is a bright, elegant variety with emerald green needles that cast a slight bluish tint in the sun, looks impressive in group plantings

Against the background of plain green “sisters,” Picea pungens “Maigold” stands out, adding to the collection of varietal beauties in 1988. It will look great as a tapeworm.

Young shoots sparkling in the sun make the coniferous beauty “Majgold” look like a queen wrapped in a golden robe

The crown of the tree, reaching a height of 6 m, has a loose pyramidal shape. The creamy-yellow needles on young shoots gradually change color after a few weeks, acquiring an equally attractive bluish-green hue.

Combinations of conifers

If the area of ​​the plot allows, then it is better to use spruce trees to create a picturesque and original picture. different types and varieties.

Material about coniferous compositions in garden landscape design:

Tall trees fit well into any landscape as tapeworms; more compact forms of conifers can be safely combined with other plantings

In order for the intended composition to turn out harmonious and attractive, masters of landscape art advise taking into account a number of key points:

• The composition should not be too colorful. For a group of three conifers, use two colors. When composing a composition of five evergreens, use only three colors.
• When creating a multi-level composition, including 20-30 plantings, place the elements in groups, matching them by color.
• The fir-shrub ensemble requires proper placement of accents: the foreground is occupied by low-growing plants, the background by medium-sized conifers.
• Arranging regular or conifers in the near-trunk area will help to avoid the feeling of density of Christmas tree plantings.

Juicy needles of a dark shade will emphasize the beauty of the nearby flowering bush. In addition to beautifully flowering plants, shrubs with unusually colored foliage will be a good addition to the coniferous beauty:,.

Spruce trees combine well with other coniferous varieties and flowering perennials, creating a picturesque picture that looks elegant at any time of the year.

Proper planting and care is a guarantee that coniferous beauties will delight you with their presentable appearance almost all year round.

Wanting to decorate your site with one or more fir trees, experienced gardeners It is advised to adhere to certain rules:

1. Boarding time. It is better to plant ephedra in early spring or early autumn, when the plant has not yet entered or has already passed the vigorous growth phase. To protect young shoots from frost and rodents, it is advisable to mulch the tree trunk area with peat for the winter.
2. Location. Under natural conditions, spruce develops well near the river valley, where it receives enough moisture to nourish a powerful root system. But at the same time, she does not like wetlands, and therefore needs drainage.
3. Soil composition. All types of spruce trees love fertile alkaline and acidic soil. They are intolerant of heavy soil types. When planting conifers in depleted soil, the planting hole should first be enriched by adding 100 grams of complex mineral fertilizer. With a lack of oxygen and nutrition, the plant may even die.

It is worth considering that spruce greatly affects the flowers and shrubs surrounding it, so it is better to place it at a short distance from sun-loving plants. You should not plant conifers close to each other, as they will limit access with their branches sun rays.

By following these simple rules when selecting varieties and composing plant compositions, you can create a cozy and picturesque design on your site that will delight the eye throughout the year.

Video instruction: setting up a fir fence

Spruce ordinary description photo seeds cones needles varieties nidiformis Siberian inversa acrocona characteristics

Latin name Picea abies (L.) Karst.

Family Pinaceae Lindl. - Pine

European spruce description

Tall evergreen tree 30 - 35 (50) m high, crown diameter - 8 m, trunk diameter up to 1.2 (2.4) m.

The crown is cone-shaped, compact or loose.

The bark when young is brownish, smooth, then reddish-brown, scaly-rough.

The needles are 10-25 mm long, 0.1 cm thick, 4-sided, pointed or curved. Dark green, shiny, lasts 6-7 years. Stores on branches for 6-12 years. A seventh of it falls every year.

Male cones are smaller than female ones and have a greenish-yellow color; they are located at the ends of last year's shoots, between the needles. Female inflorescences are bright red, the size of a grape. Male cones are reddish-yellow, female cones are purple or green.

The cones are cylindrical, 10 - 15 cm long, 3 - 4 cm wide, immature cones are light green or dark purple, mature ones are light brown or reddish brown, hanging down.

Blooms in May-June. Produces pollen in May-June. The seeds ripen in September-October.

Spreading

homeland - Europe.

Growing

Annual growth in height is 50 cm, in width - 15 cm. Up to 10 - 15 years it grows slowly, then quickly. Life expectancy is 250 - 300 years. Shade-tolerant, at a young age it can suffer from spring sunburn. Prefers fresh, well-drained acidic, sandy and loamy soils, does not tolerate stagnant water, salinity and dry soil.

Agricultural technology

Highly winter-hardy (excellent), drought-resistant (good), sometimes severely affected by pests and diseases (satisfactory). Dusting in May, cones ripen in October, seeds disperse in the second half of winter (good). Shade-tolerant. Can grow in poor soils, but prefers fresh, moist, well-drained soils.

Those given in a separate article are based on many years of growing experience. various types and decorative forms of spruce in Moscow, in the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Reproduction

Reproduces seeds, cultivars by cuttings and grafting.

Varieties

Varieties

Akrokona Asgosop. The variety was bred in Finland in 1890. Tree height is 2 - 3 m, crown diameter is 2 - 4 m, the crown is wide-conical.
The bark at a young age is brownish, smooth, later - reddish-brown, scaly-rough.
The needles are needle-shaped, tetrahedral, pointed, 1-2 cm long, 0.1 cm thick, dark green. Stores on branches for 6-12 years. Blooms in May. Male spikelets
reddish-yellow, female cones bright purple. The cones are cylindrical, large. Immature cones are bright, red, mature ones are light brown or reddish-brown, hanging down. The annual growth is 10 cm in height and 8 cm in width. It grows slowly. Shade-tolerant, at a young age it can suffer from spring sunburn. It prefers fresh, well-drained, acidic, sandy and loamy soils; it does not tolerate stagnant water, salinity and dry soil. Frost-resistant, but at a young age it can suffer from spring frosts. The cones look exceptionally beautiful.
Application: in single plantings, groups, alleys.

Aurea (“Aurea”) The height of the tree is usually up to 10 m. The branches are horizontal. The needles are shiny, yellowish-white, easily burnt in the sun, but in the shade the needles remain pale. Frost-resistant.
It is found in culture in Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and was recently brought to Russia.
Recommended for group plantings.
“Aurea Magnifica”, Golden Magnificent (“Aurea Magnified’). Low-growing, bush-like form, up to 3 m in height. The shoots are horizontal and raised above the ground. The needles are light yellow-golden, orange-yellow in winter. One of the most beautiful yellow-colored forms of common spruce. Received in 1899 in Boskop. Lovely golden shape. Propagated by grafting and cuttings.
Recommended for single and group plantings in gardens, as well as in rock gardens.

“Berry” (“WagguG”). Strong, powerful dwarf form. Young plants have a rounded crown. By old age, the branches grow unevenly in different directions and become quite long and raised.
Young shoots are orange-brown, with large buds at the ends surrounded by needles. The needles are shiny, dark green, about 10 mm long, blunt, directed forward and upward.
Widely known in culture since 1891. Not yet found in Russia.

“Viminalis”, twig-shaped (“Viminalis”) Tall tree, sometimes up to 20 m tall. The crown shape is wide-conical. The shoots are long and almost vertically spaced from each other, later bending down. The needles are light green, slightly crescent-shaped, up to 3 cm long.
It grows wild in many areas of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Scandinavian countries,
Russia. First discovered in 1741 near Stockholm.
It grows quite quickly. Annual growth is up to 40 cm. Propagated by cuttings and grafting. The rooting rate of cuttings is 40%.
Recommended for landscaping parks and squares, for single and small group plantings.

“Virgata”, Serpentine (‘Virgata’) A low tree, up to 5 m tall, but more often a shrub. Mostly with long, barely branched shoots that resemble whips or hoses. The upper shoots are directed upward, the lower ones hang down. Buds are found only at the ends of shoots, from which new shoots can grow. The needles are radial, up to 26 mm in length, thick, very sharp, rough; often bent upward, remaining on the shoots for about 10 years. Grows quickly. The annual growth of apical shoots sometimes reaches 1 m. The form was first found in 1853 in France, later in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Scandinavian countries, and Switzerland. Naturally grows in the forests of Europe. Currently widespread in culture. Unusual shape, is of interest to lovers of exotic plants, recommended for landscaping. Propagated by cuttings (6% without treatment with a stimulant) and grafting.
Used for single planting in parks or squares, on parterre lawns.

“Gregoriana” (“Gregoryana■’). Dwarf form, 60 - 80 cm tall. It grows extremely slowly. The annual growth of shoots is about 20 mm. The crown is rounded, cushion-shaped. The shoots are thick, curved, strongly branched, light brown, slightly pubescent.
The buds are yellow-green, round, collected in groups of 10 at the end of the shoot. The needles are gray-green, with sharp end, 8-12 mm long. The lower needles are arranged radially, the upper ones are star-shaped, opening the bud.
A well-known and popular form, it is often confused with the very rare form of “Echiniformis”, from which it differs in shorter needles (8-12 mm long), densely located, as well as the absence of strong shoots protruding beyond the general circumference, so characteristic of “Echiniformis” " Propagated by cuttings and grafting.
Recommended for group plantings in parks, rock gardens, and also for growing in containers.

“Echiniformis”, Prickly (“Echiniformis”)
Dwarf, slow-growing form, reaching 20 cm in height and 40 cm in width. The crown is cushion-shaped, unevenly developed in different directions. The shoots are light brown, glabrous, slightly shiny, hard, and relatively thick. Annual growth is 15-20 mm. The buds are light brown, large, cylindrical, rounded. The needles are yellow-green to gray-green, the lower needles are flat with a short sharp tip, the upper ones are star-shaped, located under the terminal cone. Known in culture since 1875. Propagated by seeds and grafting.
Recommended for group and single plantings in rocky gardens, for growing in containers, for landscaping balconies and roofs, for cemeteries.

“Inverse”, Inverted (“.Inversef’). Tree 6 - 8 m tall, with a narrow, unevenly developed crown. The crown diameter is 2 - 2.5 m. The branches and shoots are hanging, vertically vertical, the lower branches lie on the ground. The trunk is densely covered with branches. The buds are obtuse, red-brown, surrounded by two relatively large lateral buds. The needles are thick, dark green, shiny, semi-radially located. Unique shape that attracts the attention of lovers and
landscapers. Propagated by grafting. Being grafted onto prickly or common spruce “buttwise, with the core on the cambium,” it grows relatively quickly. The annual growth is 15-20 cm. Discovered in 1884 by R. Smith in England.
Currently, it is quite common in culture abroad, and is also found in Russia. Recommended for single and group plantings on lawn parterres, rock gardens and gardens.

“Clanbrassiliaiia” Dwarf form, similar in appearance wasp's nest. Old plants have a height of about 1.5 m, rarely 2 m. The shoots are thin and curved. The annual growth is 2-5 cm. The shoots are light, gray-brown above, white, like cream, to greenish-white, shiny, bare below. There are varieties with long needles on powerful shoots and with short needles on weak shoots. The buds are acutely ovate, 4-5 mm long. There are only 2-3 lateral buds, long, red-brown, shiny, very resinous in winter and then gray. Apical buds 1-3- The needles are almost radially spaced, about 5-10 mm long, shiny, light green, densely covering the shoots, in the middle the needles are the widest, thickest, flat in section, keeled, in the upper half long and sharp, fragile tip. It is recommended to remove old branches to make the plants look more impressive.
The oldest plant has been known since 1780, it was discovered near Belfast (Northern Ireland), brought by Lord Clanbrassilian to his Tollymore estate. This plant has survived to this day and has a height of 3 m. Currently, the form is widely cultivated in Europe, but is not always correctly named. It is advisable to try this form in Russia.

“Columnaris”. Tree with a columnar crown. Height up to 15 m, crown diameter up to 1.5 m. The bark when young is brownish, smooth, then reddish-brown, scaly-rough. The needles are needle-shaped, tetrahedral, pointed, 1 - 2 cm long, 0.1 cm thick, dark green. Stores on branches for 6-12 years. It grows slowly. Shade-tolerant. At a young age, he may suffer from spring sunburn. Prefers fresh, well-drained, acidic sandy and loamy soils, does not tolerate stagnant water, salinity and dry soil. Frost-resistant, but at a young age it can suffer from spring frosts.
Application: single plantings, groups, alleys.

“Compact” (“Compact^’). Dwarf form, usually about 1.5 - 2 m tall. Old plants sometimes reach 6 m in height with the same crown width. The shoots are numerous, short, raised and brown in the upper part of the crown. The needles are about 9 mm long, shorter towards the top of the shoot, shiny, green. The form has been known in culture since 1864. In Holland and Germany it is found quite widely, in
England is still apparently unknown. In Russia it is available in the collections of botanical gardens.

“Conica” (“Conica”) Dwarf form, squat, with an obovate crown. It grows quite quickly, the annual growth is 3-6 cm. The branches are raised, tightly
pressed together, thin, light or dark brown. The needles are radial and densely located, thin, soft, light green, 3-6 mm long. In cultivation since 1847, currently cultivated in Estonia and Lithuania.

“Cranstonif’.” Tree 10 - 15 m tall, with a loose, wide-conical crown and powerful branches. The needles are protruding, dark green, highly compressed, up to 30 mm long, often slightly wavy. The shoots are loosely located, branch weakly, sometimes side shoots are missing. It grows slowly. The form is close to “Virgata” (Serpentine), but more bushy. At seed propagation 1296 inherit the form. Appeared in England in Cranston's nursery in 1840 when grown from seeds.
Recommended for solitaire plantings in gardens or on ground floors in parks.

“Little Gem” (“Little Gent’). A completely dwarf form, a mutation from the common spruce of the “Nest-shaped” form, less than 1 m high, flat-rounded, with a nest-shaped depression on top. The branches from the middle of the plant rise obliquely upward (annual growth 2-3 cm). The shoots are very thin, tightly compressed. The needles are thick, completely cover the shoot, 2-5 mm long, very thin. Originated in Boskop in I960. Propagated by cuttings.
Recommended for landscaping roofs, terraces, rock gardens. Sometimes grown in containers.

“Maxwellit” (“Maxwellit’”). Dwarf form, up to 60 cm in height, cushion-shaped growth and with a vaguely defined wide-pyramidal crown formed by very short, vertically directed thick shoots, evenly distributed throughout the bush. Crown diameter - up to 2 m. Annual growth - 2 - 2.5 cm. The needles are dense, prickly, yellow-green, radially located on straight shoots. It grows slowly. Shade-tolerant. Propagated by cuttings. Valuable form, resistant to soot and soot. It has been known in culture for more than 100 years. Originated in the nursery of T. S. Maxwell in I860 in Geneva. Nowadays it is often found in American gardens.
Recommended for growing in containers, on roofs and balconies. Can be planted singly or in small groups in gardens, on alpine hills.

“Nana” (“.NandThe shape of the crown is obovate, growing unevenly, at the top there are the strongest straight shoots. Young shoots on both sides are orange, bare, shiny with a pronounced ridge, very thick and hard, often wavy, sometimes bizarre in shape. Annual growth is from 5 to 50 mm, sometimes up to 10 cm. The buds are orange-brown, obtuse, ovoid, various in size, apical from 2 to 6 mm long, the rest 1-2 mm. The needles are radial, on weak shoots they are densely located, on strong shoots the needles are far apart from each other, bright green, shiny, very variable in size, 2 - 16 mm long, mostly straight, on rough shoots they are curved from the outside, in cross section, diamond-shaped , directed forward and completely covering the apical buds, has a short, delicate, sharp tip. On both sides of the needles there are 2 - 4 lines that do not reach the tip.
The origin of the form is unknown, but already in 1855 it appeared in France, and today it is rarely found there.
Currently, the form most often sold under this name is “Pygmea”.

“Nidiformis”, Nest-shaped (“NidifomiifT”). Dwarf form, slightly higher than 1 m, wide, dense. The crown is cushion-shaped, flattened, which is obtained in the form of a nest due to the shoots growing obliquely from the middle of the plant and the absence of main branches. The branches grow evenly, fan-shaped and trumpet-shaped. There are numerous shoots. Annual growth is 3-4 cm. The needles are light green, flat, with 1 - 2 stomatal lines, which are a distinctive feature, 7-10 mm long. The form was obtained in 1904 at the Ruhlemann-Grisson nursery (Hamburg). The name was given by Beisner in 1906.
Very effective for low borders, in small groups created on parterres and rock gardens.
It is recommended to test it in landscaping roofs and loggias. Currently one of the most common dwarf forms.

"Ohlendorffii" Dwarf form, height 6 - 8 m, crown diameter 2.5 - 4 m, at a young age the crown is rounded, in old age it is wide-conical with several peaks. The shoots are erect and spreading, unevenly developed, densely located in the crown. Annual growth is 2 - 6 cm. The buds are dark, orange-brown, and are found in groups at the ends of the shoots. The needles are golden-yellowish-green, short, prickly, and outwardly resemble the needles of oriental spruce.
Obtained from seeds in the nursery of T. Ohlendorff near Hamburg in the middle of the 19th century. The seeds were brought from the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. They propagate se-
exchanges, cuttings (24%). Does not tolerate stagnant water or salinity
and dry soil. Shade-tolerant.

“Pyramidata”, Pyramidal (“Pyramidata”). Tall tree with normal growth. The crown is narrow-conical. The lower shoots are long, the upper ones are gradually shortened and directed upward. The needles densely cover the shoots, on the upper side of the shoot the needles are pressed against each other and directed upward, forward, collected in bunches from below, in the middle of the shoot the needles are longer, 15 mm long, at the top of the shoot they are shorter, 10 mm. Propagated by seeds and grafting.

“Pygmy”, Dwarf (“Pygmaea”) A dwarf form, very slowly growing, usually no higher than 1 m. The form is spreading, unevenly developed, densely located in the crown. Annual growth is 2 - 6 cm. The buds are dark, orange-brown, and are found in groups at the ends of the shoots. The needles are golden-yellowish-green, short, prickly, and outwardly resemble the needles of oriental spruce.
Obtained from seeds in the nursery of T. Ohlendorff near Hamburg in the middle of the 19th century. The seeds were brought from the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Propagated by seeds, cuttings (24%). Does not tolerate stagnation of water, salinity and dry soil. Shade-tolerant.
Recommended for single and group plantings. In containers, it can be used to green roofs, balconies, and underground passages.

“Pyramidata”, Pyramidal (“Pyramidata”). Tall tree with normal growth. The crown is narrow-conical. The lower shoots are long, the upper ones are gradually shortened and directed upward. The needles densely cover the shoots, on the upper side of the shoot the needles are pressed against each other and directed upward, forward, collected in bunches from below, in the middle of the shoot the needles are longer, 15 mm long, at the top of the shoot they are shorter, 10 mm. Propagated by seeds and grafting.
Recommended for group, solitary and alley plantings in parks and squares, near administrative buildings.

“Pygmy”, Dwarf (“Pygmaea”) Dwarf form, very slowly growing, usually no higher than 1 m. The crown shape is rounded. The shoots are light yellow, shiny, bare, thick, slightly curved. The annual growth is 1-3 cm. The buds are brown. The needles on strong shoots are radial and distinctly rounded, densely spaced, especially on weak short shoots, 5-8 mm long and 1 mm wide, light green, top and bottom with 2-3 rows of broken lines.
In culture since 1800. One of the oldest known dwarf forms. Propagated by cuttings and grafting.
Recommended for growing in containers, for planting near houses on the lawn, singly or in small groups on rocky areas.

“Procumbent” Dwarf form, fast growing. The crown is wide and flat. The shoots are slightly raised, hard, flat, thick, orange-brown, glabrous, shiny. The annual growth is 5 - 10 cm. The buds are orange-brown, sharp, ovoid, apical 4-5 mm long, the remaining 3-4 mm, not resinous in winter. The group of apical buds consists of 3, sometimes 4. There are many lateral buds and they are smaller in size. The kidney scales are small, the border is fringed, tightly pressed. The needles are semi-radial, densely arranged, very hard to the touch, fresh green, straight, thick, 10-17 mm long (the longest needles among all flat-growing forms). Along the entire length from the base to the apex they gradually decrease, above and below with 3 stomatal lines.
In culture, form is changeable. Its origin is not clear. The description was given by the famous botanist Welch.

“Pumila”, short (“Pumila”). Dwarf form, 1 - 2 m tall. The crown is broadly ovoid. Lower branches
located low, widely spaced, creeping, the upper ones are directed upward. Shoots are yellow-brown, th
thin, thin, flexible. The annual growth is about 3 cm. The buds are light orange, ovoid. The needles are 6-10 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, light green, thick, arranged in rows that overlap each other, the lower needles are longer than the upper. Stomatal lines are found along the entire length of the needles. It was introduced into culture in 1874, but is now rare. Propagated by grafting, cuttings (12%).
Recommended for growing in containers, for rock gardens, single or group plantings on alpine hills, on parterre lawns.

“Pumila Glauca”, Low-growing Gray (“Pumila Glauca”). Dwarf form up to 1 m tall.

Repens, Creeping (“Repent’). Dwarf form, 0.5 m high, crown diameter up to 1.5 m.

Wills Zwerg (“Will’s Zwerg’). Dwarf form. Height 2 m, crown diameter 0.6 - 0.8 m.

Chemical composition

Active ingredients

Application

Energy properties. Spruce gives off energy, but if a person rarely visits spruce forests, then the tree can have a depressing effect on his psyche. Brief contact with spruce helps eliminate overstrain, nervousness, and teaches you to enjoy solitude, using it as a time for self-improvement.

Use in landscape design

Decorative by the shape of the crown, the color of the needles and cones. Decorative durability up to 50-55 years.

It is an important component of park and forest compositions

Single plantings, groups, alleys, arrays, hedges.

Medicinal use

Spruce has an anti-inflammatory and breathing-easing effect. Preparations made from spruce save against scurvy, stimulate the immune system, and help restore tissue after bruises, abrasions, and wounds.

Collection and processing of medicinal raw materials

Application in official and folk medicine

IN folk medicine They use spruce bark, pine needles and cones. Bark and needles are collected in the summer. The cones are collected before the seeds begin to ripen.

Recipes for various diseases

Avitaminosis

In a mortar, grind the pine needles with a small amount of cold boiled water, add hot boiled water (1:10), acidify with lemon or citric acid, boil for 20-30 minutes, leave for 2-3 hours. Strain and take 1/2 - 1/4 cup a day after meals as a general tonic antiscorbutic remedy.

Bronchitis

Preparation of ointment. Take equal quantities of spruce resin, beeswax and butter melt, grind until homogeneous. Used externally for furunculosis, wounds and abrasions, ulcers and pustules. For persistent, old cough (chronic bronchitis), breathe in smoke from prepared ointment dripped onto hot coals

Dropsy

Boil 30 g of chopped young shoots and cones in 1 liter of milk, strain and drink 3 times a day in equal portions.

Pneumonia

Preparing a decoction of cones. 40 g of crushed cones are poured into 200 ml of water and boiled for 30 minutes. Strain through three layers of gauze and gargle 5-6 times a day or instill 4-5 drops into both nostrils for sore throat, tonsillitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchial asthma, chronic pneumonia, for the prevention of childhood infections.

Gout

Preparation of spruce baths. Prepare a decoction from the tops of young branches with buds (1:5), boil for 30-40 minutes. The resulting decoction is added to the bath water. Used for gout, rheumatic joint damage.

Wounds, ulcers

Grind dried spruce resin into powder and sprinkle on wounds and ulcers.
Take equal parts of spruce resin, beeswax and sunflower oil. Mix, heat, mix thoroughly, let cool. Lubricate the affected areas of the skin.

Norway spruce is also known as Norway spruce. There are more than a hundred varieties. Only a few representatives of the genus are used for cultivation at home. Characterized by relatively slow growth. Depending on the subspecies, the height of the tree can reach from two to eight meters. Larger specimens are found in the wild. The branches are located horizontally. The diameter of the uneven crown is about two and a half meters. The needles are usually short. It has a thick structure and a glossy shine. Norway spruce looks especially impressive in early spring. Small bumps form on young shoots. There are varieties with red modified shoots. The plant is used to improve the area. The tree harmonizes delightfully in rock gardens and group plantings with annuals. Spruce is also cultivated as a tapeworm.

To grow spruce you need to choose a lighted place.

The plant is quite light-loving. Can tolerate light partial shade.

Watering

Spruce does not tolerate swampy substrate. During the summer drought, it is advisable to evenly moisten the soil. After watering, you need to loosen the tree trunk circle.

Transfer

Gardeners cannot come to a consensus regarding the effect of replanting on spruce. The plant tolerates changes in site zones well in early spring at temperatures down to -5 degrees. Severe frosts may damage root hairs. With the help of shoots, the plant receives minerals and water.

It is necessary to carefully remove the tree from the ground. It is important to keep the earthen ball intact. Before planting, you need to treat the roots with Kornevin. Hormonal feeding should be continued for an already planted plant for ten days. It is imperative to maintain uniform substrate moisture. For one watering, it is recommended to use at least three buckets of water at room temperature.

When choosing a seedling, you should also take into account the length of the spruce. Representatives of the family, about one and a half meters high, take root well. It is advisable to use a garden wheelbarrow for transportation. You will need to cover the top with a clean cloth.

Trimming

Growing spruce as a hedge will require periodic registration. Proper pruning will help create an impenetrable green wall.

In spring or late autumn, you need to remove all broken, damaged and dry branches. The tree produces a delightful crown naturally.

The plant tolerates pruning well.

Often, two apical parts of spruce begin to form simultaneously. It is necessary to cut off one of the tops at the base.

Preparing for winter

After planting, small Christmas trees require protection from scorching sun rays, returning or early autumn frosts. Several decorative forms of the genus also require shading and shelter.

After planting, be sure to cover the soil at the base with mulch. It is recommended to use softened peat. The needles should be covered with spruce branches, non-woven dense material or craft paper.

Features of breeding in open ground

To plant on the site you need to choose the right time. It is advisable to move the tree to open ground in May, after the soil has completely warmed up. If it is too cold in the spring, you should postpone planting to the end of August or the beginning of the autumn season.

All varieties have their own requirements for the planting site. Representatives of the genus need proper preparation holes. It is necessary to dig a groove at least sixty centimeters deep. Between the holes you need to leave a distance of about two and a half meters for the full formation of the crown.

At the bottom of the groove you need to lay out a thick layer of broken brick. It will take about fifteen centimeters. Then you need to fill the hole 2/3 with a nutrient soil mixture. The substrate must be used leaf soil, turf soil, peat and sand. It is also recommended to add “Nitroammofoska”.

To protect the spruce, you need to lay out a thick layer of mulch.

It's important to keep track correct location seedling. The root bud should remain at ground level. It is necessary to inspect the spruce regularly. The bud should not sink into the ground or become exposed. After planting, you should water the plant abundantly and cover it with a peat layer.

Growing technology

Substrate

The composition of the soil mixture depends on the method of tree propagation. To grow spruce from seeds, an acidic substrate should be prepared.

Can be purchased at garden centers ready mixture for coniferous crops. At home, you will need to mix coniferous forest soil and universal soil.

How to fertilize

Norway spruce responds well to periodic feeding. The plant is in dire need of nutritious soil.

Growing in a pot

To grow spruce indoors, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Norway spruce prefers brightly lit rooms.

Small specimens need warm and well-lit microclimatic conditions. It is necessary to protect fragile needles from direct sunlight. IN winter time year, you can reduce the air temperature to + 10 degrees. The forest tree can also withstand frost. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the soil. The substrate should not freeze.

In early spring, after the arrival of the first spring warmth, it is recommended to move the plant to the balcony. It is advisable to gradually accustom the tree to the new environment. The harsh influence of the scorching sun can damage the plant.

Proper watering guarantees successful cultivation in room conditions. It is recommended to moisten the soil abundantly from early March to September. In autumn, you should gradually reduce the amount of watering. In winter, you can moisten the soil no more than once every twenty days. You can follow the regime provided the air temperature is cool - from +6 to +10 degrees. At zero temperatures, watering can be done once a month.

Norway spruce can be transplanted into a container for indoor growing.

Unlike other representatives of the flora, the plant needs spraying precisely in the cold season.

Failure to follow simple recommendations can cause tree diseases. At home, common spruce often sheds its needles when watering is improper, low or too low. high temperature, as well as under the open scorching sun.

Wrinkled needles on an indoor tree indicate a slightly acidic soil reaction. It is necessary to add soil from coniferous crops to the top layer of the substrate.

The characteristics and features of Norway spruce can be learned from the plot:

The main problems, pests and diseases of spruce on the site

The yellowness of the needles appears due to the settlement of Hermes fir. Pest colonies resemble white cotton wool. The insect prefers the lower parts of the needles.

To get rid of the pest, it is necessary to spray the tree with a solution of “Antio” and “Rogor”. You will need twenty grams of product per ten liters of water.

Burnt shoots indicate a settlement of the common spruce sawfly. At the first signs of caterpillar settlement, it is necessary to spray Fufan on the tree. For one treatment, you need to prepare a solution of twenty milliliters of product and ten liters of water.

Brown spots and yellowing, as well as browning of needles, appear in spruce trees infected with common schutte. For treatment, it is recommended to use “Colloidal sulfur”, “ Bordeaux mixture" and "Zineb". To use the first drug, you will need to prepare a solution of 200 grams of the product and ten liters of water. For the next two preparations, you can dilute 100 grams of the product in ten liters of warm liquid.

Similar solutions will help get rid of rust. Determining the disease is quite simple. Orange dots appear on the needles. The shoots become covered with swellings. At the stage of severe damage, all diseased branches must be removed. It may also be necessary to remove the tree from the ground. A dangerous disease quickly infects other garden plants.

Characteristics of flowering and allergic reactions

Male and female cones are formed on spruce.

Spruce lacks the usual formation of flowers. At the end of spring, reproductive organs appear on the tree. The patches resemble inflorescences and perform similar functions.

The spruce blooms at the same time as the bird cherry. At the ends of the branches in the upper zone of the crown you can see bright red bumps. This is the earliest stage of the familiar, autumn brown cone.

The female cone is located inside the kidney. Before flowering, the bud swells greatly and sheds its protective red cap. The released female cone contains a rod with a large number of thin scales. In a broken young cone you can see several tubercles. The formed ovules subsequently turn into rudiments. After two weeks, the cones will change direction of growth. They will hang down.

Male cones are small in size. There are red and greenish with a yellow tint. On the outside, two oblong bags are made.

The crowns of individual representatives are richly decorated with bright red male cones. Spruce pollen is carried over long distances. A characteristic powdery mass can be seen on various objects.

It is very difficult to see the lumps up close. They are located high above the ground. Unlike pine, spruce forms cones already in the first year life cycle.

Spruce in indoor conditions can cause allergic reaction. In fact, it is not the tree that causes intolerance, but mold fungi. Particles of epithelium and dust mites often settle on the needles.

Wood contains resin and pollen, which can also cause irritation. A cough, runny nose, and red eyes appear. In rare cases there are skin reactions and exacerbation of bronchial asthma.

Reproduction

It is not recommended to use purchased seeds. Seed material often loses germination when unfavorable conditions storage It is advisable to collect seeds at the end of October or beginning of November. The cones should be brought home and laid out on a dry surface next to heating appliances.

After drying, seeds will appear. The collected rudiments must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then it should be placed in a container with heated sand. The planting depth should not exceed 1.5 centimeters. The bowl needs to be moved to the refrigerator door to create wild conditions.

With the help of stratification, germination can be effectively stimulated. After three months, the container should be taken out warm room. It is recommended to keep seedlings on the windowsill.

How to care for sown seeds

It is necessary to constantly maintain uniform substrate moisture. There should be enough sunlight on the warm window. After 2 weeks the first shoots will appear. It is not advisable to flood the seedlings with water. Young spruce may rot.

What to do with sprouts

It is important to maintain moderation in watering. It is also recommended to periodically fertilize the soil. Before planting, fertilizers can be applied to the soil 2 times. It is necessary to loosen the top layer of the substrate. As a preventative measure, it is advisable to treat the spruce with a weak insecticide solution.

Transplantation into the ground

Spruce after planting in open ground needs timely watering.

The grown sprouts in pots can be planted on the site. Brittle spruce needs to be created optimal conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to take the plant to open area at the end of May.
Compost and stimulating minerals should be added to the planting hole.

The seedling must be evenly placed in the hole and covered with soil. Lightly level the soil and water the plant. On top you need to cover the spruce with a cut plastic bottle. By using greenhouse effect the plant will quickly take root.

It is necessary to periodically open the spruce to remove condensation and allow air circulation. After a week, the bottle can be removed and the top layer of the substrate can be mulched.

Features of spruce

Some varieties can bear fruit only thirty times over the entire life cycle (about 500 years).

Spruce varieties are distinguished by faded and sparse flowering. The period of formation of cones takes about 7 days. Cones are often mistakenly called fruits. In fact, these are modified shoots.

The absence of flowering in the current season does not always indicate damage to the crop and unfavorable growing conditions.

How to choose planting material

Common spruce 2 meters high in burlap, as well as with an earthen lump in metal mesh can be purchased for two thousand rubles. Average price for the dwarf spruce variety “Nidiformis” is 450 rubles.

Spruce (lat. Picea) is an evergreen coniferous tree, a symbol of the New Year. Belongs to the pine order, pine family, spruce genus. The height of a spruce can reach 50 meters, and the lifespan of a tree can be 600 years, although usually a tree lives up to 250-300 years.

Spruce – description, appearance, photo.

U young tree During the first 15 years of growth, the root system has a tap structure, but then it develops as a superficial one, since as it matures, the main root dies off. In the first years of its life, the spruce grows upward and practically does not produce lateral branches. The straight trunk of the spruce has a round shape and gray bark, exfoliating into thin plates. Spruce wood low-resinous and homogeneous, white with a light golden tint.

The pyramidal or cone-shaped crown of the spruce is composed of whorled branches growing almost perpendicular to the trunk. Short spruce needles located on the branches in a spiral pattern and has a tetrahedral or flat shape. The color of the needles is usually green, blue, yellowish or gray. The needles remain viable for 6 years, and the fallen ones are renewed annually. Some insects are partial to spruce needles (for example, nun butterflies) and eat the needles so much that brush shoots are formed on damaged spruce branches - very short and hard needles that look like brushes.

Spruce cones have a slightly pointed, slightly elongated cylindrical shape. They can reach a length of 15 cm and have a diameter of at least 4 cm. The spruce cone is an axis, and around it grows many covering scales, in the axils of which the seed scales are located. On the upper part of the seed scales, 2 ovules are formed, endowed with a false wing. Spruce seeds ripen in October, after which the seeds are dispersed by the wind and remain viable for 8-10 years.

Types of fir trees, names and photos.

Today, more than 45 species of spruce have been studied, growing in natural conditions and having a trunk height from 30 cm to 50 m, different crown structures and various colors of needles. Among all the representatives of this genus, the most famous are the following varieties:

• European (ordinary) spruce (lat. Picea abies). An evergreen coniferous tree, the average height of which is 30 m, but there are specimens up to 50 meters in height. The crown of the spruce is cone-shaped, whorled branches of drooping or prostrate type, trunk bark dark gray, with age it begins to flake off in thin plates. Spruce needles are tetrahedral, arranged in a spiral on spruce paws. Common spruce forms huge forests in northeastern Europe, and is found in the mountainous regions of the Alps and Carpathians, in the Pyrenees and the Balkan Peninsula, in North America and central Russia, and even in the Siberian taiga.

• Siberian spruce (lat. Picea obovata). A tall tree, up to 30 meters in height, with a pyramidal crown. The girth diameter of the Siberian spruce trunk can exceed 70-80 cm. The needles of the Siberian spruce are somewhat shorter than those of the common spruce and are more prickly. Siberian spruce grows in the forests of northern Europe, Kazakhstan and China, the Scandinavian Peninsula and Mongolia, the Urals and the Magadan region.

• Eastern spruce (lat. Picea orientalis). The height of the tree varies from 32 to 55 meters, the crown is conical in shape, with densely spaced branches. The bark of the spruce trunk is low-resinous, gray-brown in color, and scaly. The needles are shiny, slightly flattened, tetrahedral, with a slightly rounded tip. Oriental spruce is widespread in the forests of the Caucasus and the northern territories of Asia, forming pure tracts there, or found in mixed forests.

• Korean spruce (lat. Picea koraiensis). A rather tall coniferous tree, reaching 30-40 m in height, with a greyish-brown bark-colored trunk, girth up to 75-80 cm. The crown of this spruce species is pyramidal, drooping branches, pubescent with resinous tetrahedral, slightly blunt needles with a bluish bloom. Under natural conditions, Korean spruce grows in regions Far East, in China, in the Primorsky Territory and Amur region, in North Korea.

• Ayan spruce (small-seeded, Hokkaido) (lat. Picea jezoensis). Externally, this type of spruce is very similar to European spruce. The pyramidal crown of the Ayan spruce has bright green, almost non-resinous needles with a sharp tip, the trunk height is usually 30-40 meters, occasionally up to 50 m, the girth of the trunk reaches a meter, and sometimes more. Spruce grows in the Far East region, in Japan and China, on Sakhalin and the Kamchatka Territory, in Korea and the Amur region, on the Kuril Islands, along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and in the Sikhote-Alin mountains.

• Tian – Shan spruce (lat. Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianschanica). Spruce trees of this species often reach a height of 60 m, and the trunk diameter is 1.7-2 meters. The crown of the Tien Shan spruce is cylindrical, less often pyramidal in shape. The needles are diamond-shaped, straight, or slightly curved. Distinctive feature– the presence of anchor roots that are able to bend and cling tightly to stones or rocky ledges. Spruce grows in regions of Central Asia, is widespread in the Tien Shan mountains, and is especially common in Kazakhstan and the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan.

• Spruce Glen (lat. Picea glehnii). Coniferous tree with a very dense, cone-shaped crown. The trunk height is from 17 to 30 meters, the diameter varies from 60 to 75 cm. The bark is covered with scale plates and has a beautiful chocolate hue. The long tetrahedral needles are slightly curved, sharp in young trees and slightly blunt in mature specimens. The needles are dark green, with a bluish bloom, and have a tart spruce aroma. Glen spruce grows in Japan, in the southern regions of Sakhalin, in the south of the Kuril Islands.

• Canadian spruce (gray spruce, white spruce) (lat. Picea glauca). A slender evergreen tree, most often not exceeding 15-20 meters in height, the trunk diameter of the Canadian spruce is no more than 1 meter in diameter. The bark on the trunk is quite thin, covered with scales. The crown is narrowly conical in young specimens, and in adult spruce trees it takes on the shape of a cylinder. The spruce needles are long (up to 2.5 cm), blue-green in color, and diamond-shaped in cross-section. Canadian spruce grows in the states of North America, often found in Alaska, Michigan, and South Dakota.

• Red spruce (lat. Picea rubens). An evergreen tree, with a height of 20 to 40 meters, however, under poor growing conditions it can have a height of only 4-6 meters. The diameter of the red spruce trunk rarely exceeds 1 meter, but is usually 50-60 centimeters. The crown is cone-shaped, significantly expanding towards the base of the trunk. The needles are quite long - 12-15mm, practically do not prick, as they have a rounded tip. This type spruce is common in England and Canada, grows in the Appalachian mountains and in Scotland, found almost along the entire Atlantic coast.

• Serbian spruce (lat. Picea omorika). Evergreen representative coniferous trees, height from 20 to 35 meters, trees are very rare Serbian spruce, reaching 40 meters in height. The crown of the spruce is pyramidal, but narrow, and closer to columnar in shape. The branches are short, sparse, slightly raised upward. The spruce needles are green, shiny, with a slightly bluish tint, slightly flattened on top and bottom. This type of spruce is very rare: it grows in its natural environment only in Western Serbia and Eastern Bosnia.

• Blue spruce, she's the same prickly spruce(lat. Picea pungens)- a very popular type of spruce, often used as ornamental plant. Blue spruce can grow up to 46 meters in height, although the average tree height is 25-30 m, and the trunk diameter is up to 1.5 m. The crown of young spruce trees has a narrow conical shape, and with age it turns into cylindrical. The needles, 1.5-3 cm long, come in different shades - from grayish-green to bright blue. Spruce cones, 6-11 cm long, can be reddish or purple, turning light brown when ripe. Blue spruce grows in western North America (from Idaho to New Mexico), where it is widespread in moist soils along the banks of mountain rivers and streams.

Dwarf spruce, varieties and types, names and photos.

Among the huge variety of spruce species and varieties, dwarf spruce trees are especially popular - amazing elements of landscape design and a wonderful decoration for every garden. Dwarf spruce is durable, unpretentious, and easy to care for. These miniature trees amaze with the splendor of their shapes and colors and fit perfectly into rock gardens, rock gardens, flower beds, Japanese kindergartens. Here are some types of dwarf spruce trees:

Dwarf spruce Nidiformis- one of the forms of common spruce, a dense nest-like shrub with light green needles, grows up to 40 cm in height and no more than 1 m in width.

The result of the mutation of the common spruce variety Acrocona is an unusual plant of uneven shape, 30-100 cm high and 50 cm in diameter. The small pink cones that form on shoots of different lengths look especially picturesque.

Dwarf blue spruce Glauka Globoza (Glauca Globosa)- one of the popular types of blue spruce with a dense, wide-conical crown and light blue crescent-shaped needles. By the age of 10, the tree grows up to 3 m in height and gradually becomes almost round.

A very decorative conifer with a symmetrical pyramidal crown and two-color needles: the needles are dark green above and light blue below. The tree grows up to 3-3.5 m in height, and the diameter of the crown at the base is 2.5 m.

Dwarf spruce Bialobok (Bialobok)- a unique variety of spruce of Polish selection with blue, silver and golden shades of needles. The Christmas tree becomes especially decorative in the spring, when young shoots of a whitish-cream color appear against the background of mature dark green needles. Height dwarf spruce is no more than 2 meters.