Spruce is also a coniferous tree. Medicinal properties of spruce. Photo of Canadian spruce in landscape design

Blue spruce is native to North America. IN wildlife This original tree grows high in the mountains. Therefore, it is characterized by increased resistance to low temperatures and is not afraid of winds. In our country, this plant is widely used as a decorative plant on city streets, in parks and on personal plots.

Main Features

Depending on the variety, prickly spruce can reach a height of 80 cm to 25 m. In the wild, these trees grow up to 40 m. The crown of blue spruce can be pyramidal or cone-shaped. The needles of most varieties are very hard. Therefore, blue spruce is often called prickly spruce.

This plant, in addition to being distinguished by its high decorative qualities, also very to a greater extent and determines its popularity as a decorative one. Caring for blue spruce is a certain difficulty only in the first time after planting. In the future no special effort There is no need to undertake any measures aimed at maintaining the life of the beauty. The success of growing blue spruce depends mainly on the right choice landing sites. Most varieties do not do well in the shade. Some varieties love loose, fertile soils, others can even grow on rocks.

Which variety to choose

Over the years, many varieties of this plant have been developed, such as blue spruce prickly. If desired, you can choose for your site either a tall tree with a spreading crown or a low compact tree. Most popular varieties from domestic owners suburban areas are Glauca Misty Blue, Waldburn, Montgomery and Bialobok.

Prickly blue spruce Glauka Misty Blue has a regular conical crown shape. Its branches grow in neat tiers. This variety can reach a height of 20 m. It grows quite slowly. The crown is very thick, the needles are blue with a steel tint, and the cones are light brown. This variety looks very beautiful, which determines its high popularity.

In addition to height, the main criterion that people pay attention to when choosing a variety of a plant such as prickly spruce is shape. Blue Glauka in this regard is a very beautiful plant. Its crown has a classic pyramidal shape. It is precisely these Christmas trees, for example, that are traditionally the main attribute of the New Year.

In the wild, this tree is usually quite tall (blue spruce). Its varieties, bred artificially, can be quite compact. An example is Waldburn. Christmas trees of this variety reach a height of no more than 80 cm. At the same time, they are frost-resistant and feel good in areas with a lot of stones. Trees of this variety are best suited for rock gardens. The crown of the Waldburn spruce is spherical (up to 1 m in diameter). The advantages of this variety, among other things, include undemandingness to soil composition.

Montgomery blue spruce is distinguished by a cone-shaped lush crown. This variety reaches a height of 1.8 m. Montgomery is excellent for mixborders with shrubs. This spruce is valued primarily for the fact that its needles acquire a rich blue hue with age.

The Bialobok variety reaches a height of 2 m. It requires fertile soil. This variety is great for coniferous mixborders. Bialobok also looks great next to dwarf shrubs. The variety does well in the Russian climate. But starting from the third year of growth, these trees need to be covered for the winter.

Blue spruce: planting and care in a suburban area

There are several ways to grow these unusual conifers. Seeds, cuttings or seedlings from tubs can be used as planting material. It is relatively easy to obtain beautiful lush trees in all these cases. However, certain growing technologies will still have to be followed.

Using seeds as planting material

When using this growing technology, cones are taken from a tree of the variety of interest in winter. Prickly blue spruce Misty Blue, Waldburn, Bialobok and any other varieties can reproduce by seeds.

Cones of the selected variety are stored in a warm place until they open. Next, the seeds are removed from them, dropped into damp sand and stored in the refrigerator until spring. Then they are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and placed in a soil mixture prepared from peat and garden soil. The seeds need to be buried 1-1.5 cm. Over the next three weeks, the soil should be periodically moistened. After the seedlings sprout, they are thinned out.

In the garden or yard, small holes are dug under the Christmas trees at a distance of about 25 cm from each other. Drainage is placed at their bottom. The plants are placed in the center and sprinkled with soil acidified with ammonium nitrate. The second time, the Christmas trees are planted in the third year of growth (at a distance of a meter).

Using cuttings

Prickly blue spruce, which was described in detail above in the article, can, if desired, be grown from a twig. The technology for planting this ornamental crop using cuttings is considered even simpler than using seeds. You need to take a twig from an adult spruce tree, from the top, in mid-spring. The selected cutting below is cleared of needles and soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, a hole is dug under it, and drainage is placed at the bottom. Sprinkle the twig first with a layer of soil taken from under a coniferous tree, and then with sand. Next, the cuttings are watered abundantly. The top of the branch should be covered with film and burlap. Before rooting, the plant should be watered about 4 times a day. For the winter, the cuttings are covered with sawdust.

Using a seedling

Any variety can be planted this way. For example, the prickly blue spruce Glauca is often grown from seedlings. After all, this traditional New Year’s tree has recently often been sold not cut down, but rooted in a pot. Such planting material allows you to get a full-fledged large luxurious plant as quickly as possible. From the pot, the seedling is transferred to a hole with drainage and acidified soil. The plant should be replanted in such a way that its root collar is located strictly at the same level as in the tub. If it is too deep, it may begin to rot. If the root collar is placed too high when planting, this will quickly lead to its drying out. The first time after, you definitely need to shade it.

This is how the planting of varieties such as prickly blue spruce Misty Blue, Montgomery, Bialobok, etc. is carried out. Of course, the established tree will have to be carefully looked after in the future - water it, fertilize it and do pruning.

How to water blue spruce trees

At first, caring for the plant will take a lot of time. The owner of a country plot who decides to plant a blue spruce needs to be prepared for this. Up to a year, the soil under this plant should be moistened several times a day. You will also have to periodically spray the crown.

Prickly blue spruce is a moisture-loving plant. You will have to water the trees at least once or twice a day, morning and evening. In this case, water should be poured not at the root, but by sprinkling. Many owners of suburban areas plant blue spruce trees in their lawns. In this case, watering the grass and tree can be done simultaneously. Only warm water is suitable for spruce trees.

How to fertilize

Use regular ones for Christmas trees organic fertilizers, especially fresh manure, is strictly prohibited. These plants do not like too much fertilizing. That blue spruce, which was fertilized too often in the summer, can even freeze in the winter. The first five years the trees are fed mineral fertilizers. It is best to use universal products intended for coniferous plants for this purpose. Not bad for Christmas trees and Kemira-station wagon. Fertilizers should be applied immediately after the snow melts. The product is scattered in a circle near the trunk and lightly embedded into the ground with a rake. Adult spruce trees do not need to be fertilized after 5 years of growth.

How to trim

Prickly blue spruce, planting and caring for which in the Russian climate is not too complicated, and in most cases has a neat and symmetrical crown. However, these trees still need to be pruned in the spring. Remove diseased and broken branches from fir trees. Sometimes, for example, when using trees as hedges, a crown is also formed. In this case, pruning is performed in the summer, after the shoots have stopped growing. The first time this is done some time after planting. It is advisable to carry out molding until the tree is 7 years old. It is not recommended to perform this operation in the fall. Otherwise, the cut branches may freeze in winter. It is allowed to form a crown only for some varieties of spruce.

It is not necessary to process the cuts of this plant. The spruce will release a large amount of healing resin.

Preparing for winter

Most varieties of blue spruce are frost-resistant. Therefore, only young plants and low-growing varieties should be prepared for winter. For such trees, it is advisable to press the branches to the trunk so that they are not broken by snow.

In general, this plant is very impressive and at the same time relatively unpretentious - prickly blue spruce. The photos presented to the reader in the article clearly show the beauty of these original trees. Decorate yours suburban area It’s definitely worth at least a couple of these Christmas trees.

And the house, and the garden, and even the office - the universal and at the same time beautiful coniferous tree “Konica” will decorate any corner. A dense spruce does not need special care - if you follow basic rules, then such a beauty can be easily grown even at home. We will find out further what a Canadian tree is.

Description of the Konika spruce

Canadian spruce was discovered for horticulture for the first time more than 100 years ago in the Netherlands. The tree itself is small, cone-shaped, it is even called dwarf. In a year, a seedling can gain up to 10 cm in length and up to 5 cm in width. Maximum length can be 4 meters, but the tree reaches this figure only after 60 years of life. The needles are soft, can grow up to 10 mm, and are light green. New growth is always brighter and juicier. This tree is fluffy and not prickly at all. It grows well in a slightly shaded place protected from strong winds.

Perhaps this is one of the few spruces that do not need trimming,- the form always remains the same.

Important! Spring floods can destroy the plant. Therefore, seedlings need to be placed on a hill or protected from flooding.

Needles are most often supplied from Holland, Poland and Denmark. However, these spruce trees can be grown and propagated anywhere.

Species

There are several varieties of Canadian beauty- “Konika Glauka” and “Alberta Globe”. They have slight differences, but, in general, each of them will fit into any environment.

This is a naturally bred dwarf spruce, which differs from other species in its accelerated growth in the first year of life. Also this frost-resistant variety, so there is no need to be afraid that the small tree will die. At first, you can notice how the needles grow in height, while not really maintaining their conical shape. There is no need to worry, as over time it will begin to grow in diameter.

This species is much smaller than others- up to 1 meter in length and the same in diameter. The most important difference is implied by the name - the shape of the bush is globe-shaped. The shoots are thin, short and grow slowly. Conifer needles are even thinner and sharper than others. There are also small cones that are light brown in color. It is more susceptible to cold than Konica Glauka.

Application

An evergreen shrub will always look good in landscape design. It can be any style - oriental, European. A huge advantage of this spruce is that compositions with it will always look advantageous due to its almost unchanged size. Therefore, the garden or path to the house will look perfect at any time of the year. The tree will fit into any flower or bush arrangement; moreover, it itself will do an excellent job of decorating the area. It can decorate grassy lawns especially well - emphasizing simplicity and sophistication.

Rock gardens with stone mounds, sculptures and small ponds will look more impressive if planted nearby dwarf spruce. spherical or cone-shaped- depends on the taste of the gardener, but the nice thing is that you don’t have to choose, but combine these types.

The bushes are neat in appearance, therefore, they will look very harmonious on small terraces, patios, green roofs, and will perfectly decorate the entrance to a house or garden. Cone-shaped trees will also look good near the gazebos.

In addition, it is not necessary to contact designers to make a composition. It is enough to simply plant the seedlings evenly, and any other plants between them, make stone paths around them - and the garden will already look exclusive.

Care

Of course, a tree will look good only if proper care. The most important conditions are proper soil and watering.

Important! The tree should not be planted closely with other plants, otherwise the crown may begin to dry out. Minimum distance- 15 cm.

Preparing the seedling for planting:

We choose a place - sun exposure is acceptable if it occurs through diffuse shadow. It is better to place it on a small hill so that the roots do not flood in the spring.
We pay attention to the soil - it must be moist and fertile. Loam content is at least medium. You can create an artificial one by mixing turf and leaf soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 2:2:1:1.
Spring, summer and fall are great times for planting. However, in summer, plant in open ground It is better with a closed rhizome, that is, there should be soil from the pot on it so as not to dry out the root. Ideal weather is cloudy but no rain.

Soil care after planting:

We monitor the humidity - especially at first. But fill conifer it is forbidden.
Hiding from direct sun rays using burlap.
The soil should be loose, not dense.
During drought, you need to water the plant, spray the branches with water in the summer, and regularly fertilize the soil with special coniferous fertilizers (“Hol”). Don't forget about mulching.

For the winter root system It is better to cover the tree. To do this, just take peat and compost, mix them in equal quantities and sprinkle 5-10 cm of soil around the trunk. Burlap will be needed in severe frosts to protect the branches from hypothermia. In general, nothing complicated, but each of these points is important for the normal functioning of evergreen shrubs.

Is it possible to propagate the Konica spruce yourself?

Experienced gardeners save on buying plants - they reproduce them. And Konika is no exception.

Did you know? The largest coniferous tree reaches 120 m - this is the giant sequoia.

Cuttings and seeds are used to propagate “Konica”. The first method is suitable for the spring period - young and beautiful branches from the middle of the crown are carefully cut off along with the heel (a piece of the trunk). Any cutting up to 11 cm will do. Next, the prepared branches are kept in a stimulating liquid for about a day. While the branches are saturated with the solution, you need to prepare the ground. We loosen it, fertilize it and then plant our seedlings at an angle of 30 degrees.

In order for shoots to appear, it is better to keep the seedlings in a greenhouse; over the next 6 months, their root system is established. At this time, it is better not to touch the future bushes - just water and ventilate the room.

Seeds can be collected from cones in winter. After treating them with a stimulating solution, they need to be planted shallowly in the ground in a greenhouse and watered periodically.

What problems might there be?

formation of resin streaks on wood;
presence of drill flour;
wilting of the bush.

Did you know? The oldest representative of coniferous trees grows in North America- this pine tree is more than 4 and a half thousand years old.

Also very common is the so-called Schutte's disease- it is provoked by fungi. The name itself translates as “to pour.” It is the parasite that causes the needles to shed. “Konika” succumbs to such a variety of this disease as snowy Schutte. This disease develops under snow at temperatures from 0 °C. Most often it affects those coniferous trees that are covered with snow more than half a meter.

Spruces belong to the genus of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family. The name comes from the Latin “pix” - the resin that these plants contain and secrete. These are the most important forest-forming species of dark coniferous forests, growing in different climatic zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, according to the growing conditions, we can consider the following types these plants.

In Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia the most common are:

Spruce European, Common (see article "");
Finnish spruce;
Spruce Serbian or Balkan;
Eastern or Caucasian spruce;
Schrenk spruce or Tien Shan.

In the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East the most famous are:

Siberian spruce;
Spruce Ayanskaya or Iezonskaya;
Glen Spruce;
Korean spruce.

Common in North America:

Canadian or White spruce;
Engelman spruce;
Prickly Spruce;
Sitka spruce;
Black Spruce.

In culture, propagation occurs by seeds, vegetatively - by cuttings, grafting, mainly on Norway spruce.

Finnish spruce

Grows in North Karelia, Finland, Norway, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov regions of Russia, the Urals and Mongolia. This is a hybrid that was created when species of Scots Siberian Spruce were crossed. In the composition of dark coniferous forests, the share of Finnish spruce can be about 75%.

Finnish spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree, 30 m high, with a pyramidal crown. But under the influence of frost and winds, the crowns often become quite compressed, as a result of which the trees take on a kind of “flag” shape. Young cones of Finnish Spruce are bright purple in color, directed upward, but as they mature, they first become green and then brown, become woody and drooping. The length of the cones is 7 (9-10) cm, the scales are entire. The length of the cones and their scales are the same as those of Siberian Spruce. The cones ripen in the second year after the plant “blooms” and fall entirely from the tree after the seeds have completely dispersed.

Finnish Spruce is a slow growing plant, therefore less valuable than Norway Spruce. The requirements for soils, growing conditions, and application are the same as for European Spruce and Siberian Spruce. How ornamental plant, in culture it is planted in the form of single trees, on personal plots, on the streets and in parks of populated areas. In arboretums and botanical gardens - in alley plantings and in massifs.

Spruce Serbian or Balkan

It grows on the Balkan Peninsula, in the European part of the former USSR, in Belarus, in Ukraine, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Serbian spruce is a tree whose height is 20-35 (less often - 40) m with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. It has short branches hanging to the ground. The crown is pointed, narrowly pyramidal in shape, retains its slimness and grace until old age. The bark is thin, reddish-gray, scaly, peeling off in thin plates. Young shoots are gray-brown in color and quite densely pubescent. The buds are not resinous, sharp, wide ovoid, red-brown in color, have long, silky-pointed scales. The length of the buds is 5-8 mm, width is 0.5-2 mm.

The upper side of the dense, flat needles, dark green in color, shiny, the lower side has two large bluish-white stripes (stomatal grooves). Young trees have pointed needles, while old trees have rounded needles. The length of the needles is 18-20 mm, width is 0.5-2 mm. The needles are preserved on Spruce Serbskaya for 8-10 years. “Blooms” in April-May. Young female cones are reddish or black with a bluish tint. Mature ones, length – 3-6 cm, width – 3 cm, shiny, brown, have an ovoid-oblong-oval shape. The scales of the cones are rounded, slightly pubescent at the base, and slightly toothed. The cones ripen in August.

Serbian spruce begins to produce seeds from 12 to 15 years of age. The seeds are winged, brown in color, their length is 3 cm. The wing is 3-4 times longer than the seed, yellow-brown in color. 1000 seeds weigh 3 g. Serbian spruce is not demanding on soils. Can grow on clay, calcareous soils and podzolic sands. But better soils fresh, moist loams are suitable for its growth. Serbian spruce is very demanding on air humidity, but it tolerates dryness more easily than Norway spruce (European).

This is a shade-tolerant, winter-wind-resistant plant. It tolerates air pollution from smoke and gases well. In terms of gas resistance, it is similar to some types of Spruce, in particular the Prickly Spruce. Lives 300 years or more. It grows slower than Norway Spruce (European) and Sitka Spruce. Known in culture since 1880. As an ornamental plant with an elegant crown and beautiful foliage, it is widespread in Northern Europe and North America. It looks impressive when planted in gardens and parks in the form of tapeworms and in small groups, as well as in green areas of forest parks.

The following forms of Serbian Spruce are common in cultivation: Aurea – yellow needles; De Ruyter – the needles are short, the upper part is glossy, dark green, the lower part is silver; Expansa – dwarf form without a trunk, the crown lies on the ground; Gnom – the needles are very prickly, shiny, green below, with four to five white stomatal lines above; Karel – dwarf form, young needles are green, later – gray-green; Minima – dwarf form, short shoots, rounded crown; Nana – densely branched dwarf form, pigeon needles; Pendula Bruns – slow growing tree, dense crown, needle-shaped, dark green needles; Zuckerhut - conical shape, the needles are turned, creating a slightly silvery tint.

Eastern or Caucasian spruce

It grows in the West of the Greater Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Armenia, Adjara, Asia Minor, and Turkey. A large evergreen coniferous tree, has a height of 45-50 m, occasionally 60 m, and a trunk diameter of 1.5-2 m. Dense, hanging branches, with slightly drooping ends, extend almost horizontally from the straight trunk. The crown is narrowly pyramidal in shape, the bark of young trees is smooth, light gray in color, while that of old trees is cracking, scaly, dark gray in color. Young shoots are reddish or yellow-green, shiny, densely pubescent. The buds are small, up to 3 mm, reddish-brown in color, pointed at the end. Short, 0.4-0.8 cm long, hard, tetrahedral, shiny, dark green needles densely cover the branches. "Blooms" in May.

Male inflorescences are carmine-red in color, female cones are violet-purple. Resinous mature cones, 5-8 cm long, 2 cm wide, spindle-shaped or cylindrical in shape, light brown in color, shiny, hanging, fall from the tree without opening entirely. They are often very densely located and hang in clusters on the branches. The seed scales are entire, almost round in shape, leathery. The seeds are small, winged, up to 4 mm long, black, obovate in shape. The wing is 14-17 mm long, 3-4 times larger than the seed. The seeds ripen in October. The weight of 1000 seeds is about 7.3 g. Eastern spruce is a slow-growing species, especially at a young age. Lives 400-500 (600) years.

This is a shade-tolerant, moisture-loving plant, not demanding on soil composition, but very demanding on soil and air moisture. Having a shallow root system, it is often damaged by winds and does not tolerate drought, hot winds, or frosts. Eastern spruce is a typical mountain plant growing in the high mountainous regions of the North Caucasus and Turkey at an altitude of 500-2000 m above sea level, forming forest stands with a highly productive wood supply of 1000 m3 per 1 ha. Or mixed forests together with. In Asia Minor it mainly grows in deep, closed, shady gorges and on rocky soils.

In culture it is found in the parks of Crimea, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in Southern and Western Ukraine. In Kyiv, it is damaged by frost. Eastern Spruce wood is light, durable, used for the manufacture of carpentry and turning products, and is also a raw material for the pulp and paper industries. Possessing high resonant properties, it is valuable for the manufacture of musical instruments.

As a slender decorative tree with meek needles, spruce planting is used in gardens and parks for creating small groups and hedges. In mountainous areas - in forest parks, in the form of massive group plantings, on shaded slopes. The following forms of Eastern Spruce are known: Drooping - drooping branches; Low – the needles are thick, dark green; Golden – the needles are golden-bronze, retain their color for a long time; Golden-conical - on young shoots the needles are light golden, later turning green.

Schrenk spruce or Tien Shan

Grows in the mountain forests of the Tien Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, and Central Asia. This is a slender, evergreen tree, appearance Spruce is very lofty, the height of which reaches 45 (85) meters and the diameter of the trunk is 1.2-1.5 m. At the end of the lower branches of this tree they lie on the ground, so the dense, narrowly conical, almost cypress-shaped crown begins as if from the base of the trunk. The bark is dark gray in color, smooth in young trees, and later peels off in plates. Young shoots are yellowish-gray, sparsely pubescent. Kidneys gray-yellow color, much darker than the shoots, not resinous.

The needles, 4 cm long, are hard, linear, pale bluish-green, tetrahedral, and have a prickly point. It remains on the tree for 28 years, then is replaced with a new one. The cones are oblong-cylindrical, 7-12 cm long, hanging, light brown in color, and fall entirely from the tree. Schrenk spruce begins to bear fruit at the age of 25-30 years. The seeds have wings that are 1.5-3 times longer than the seed itself. In its youth, Schrenka Spruce grows slowly and lives up to 400 years.

This is a frost-resistant, shade-loving, moisture-loving plant. Demanding on soil and atmospheric moisture, and completely undemanding on soil composition. It can grow on acidic, brown, humus-carbonate, and very rocky soils. Growing in the mountain forests of the Tien Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, at an altitude of 1300-3200 m above sea level, it forms both pure stands and mixed forests together with Siberian Fir and Semenov Fir.

Having a highly developed superficial root system, Schrenk Spruce can grow on steep rocky slopes with little soil cover, thereby strengthening and keeping the soil from being washed away by spring waters and rainfall. This is its hydro-reclamation significance. As an ornamental plant with an original crown shape and a unique coloring of the needles, it looks beautiful planted in squares, parks and gardens alone or in small groups. There is a form of Schrenk Spruce - Globular - a tree with a spherical crown up to 1.8 m in height.

Siberian spruce

Grows in Northeast Europe, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, China, Mongolia. This is an evergreen tree of the pine family, the height of which is 30 m, the diameter of the trunk is 0.7 m. The crown is narrowly pyramidal or pyramidal in shape, the bark is wrinkled, dark gray or almost black.

Young shoots are yellowish-brown or brownish in color and have dense pubescence. The buds are not resinous, brown or yellow in color. The needles that the Siberian Spruce plant has are thick, hard, prickly, 0.7-2 cm long, tetrahedral with a strongly pointed tip. The location of the needles is the same. The needles remain on the tree for 7-9 years. The Siberian spruce “blooms” from mid-May to early June.

The cones are small, 5-8 cm long, located at the ends of the upper branches, oblong-cylindrical in shape, hanging, light brown in color. After ripening, the cones do not fall apart; the scales of the cones are entire. The seeds are winged, carried by the wind, ripen at the end of September, beginning of October, and fall in the middle of winter. Wing seeds are 10-13 cm. 1000 seeds weigh about 5 g.

The Siberian spruce begins to bear fruit, depending on the growing conditions, from 30-50 years of age. Fruitful years are observed after 3-4-5 years. Up to five years it grows slowly, then growth is moderate. It is frost-resistant, shade-loving plant, undemanding in terms of soil composition and moisture. Siberian Spruce is a close species to the Common Spruce; it differs from it in higher frost resistance, smaller cones, denser, stiffer and much shorter needles, and slow growth.

Siberian Spruce wood is of the same quality as Norway Spruce wood. The use of Siberian Spruce is the same as that of Common Spruce. Siberian Spruce grows both in mixed forests, together with Fir, Birch and other deciduous species, and often forms pure stands. It grows well and bears fruit in the forest-steppe part of Ukraine, planted in small plantings.

Growing in the forests of the Urals, Eastern and Western Siberia, Siberian Spruce covers an area of about 25 million hectares. Its stock of stem wood is 400 3 ha. The variety of Siberian Spruce with blue needles, growing on the southern coast of Lake Baikal and in the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, is in danger of complete extinction and requires protection and protection.

El Ayanskaya (Ezonskaya)

Grows in the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, South Kuril Islands, North Korea, Manchuria. Its height reaches 35-40 (less often - 50) meters, trunk diameter is 100-120 cm, the crown is pyramidal in shape, reminiscent of the shape of the crown of Scots Spruce. The branches are strong, thin, tough. The branching is whorled, the trunk is covered with cracking and peeling small, rounded plates.

The bark is light brown. Young shoots are slightly pubescent, shiny, yellowish-brown in color. The buds are resinous, brownish or red-brown in color. The needles, 1-2 cm long, are linear, soft, flat, with pointed tips, tightly pressed to the shoots. The upper side of the needles is shiny, dark green, the lower side is bluish-white. Often, on illuminated shoots, the needles are bent upward so that its light underside is visible. This gives the crown a silvery tint. The needles remain on the tree for up to 10 years.

Spruce Ayanskaya blooms in May. The cones are hanging, oval-cylindrical in shape, light brown in color. They have leathery, loosely arranged seed scales with pitted-toothed tips. The length of the cones is 4-7.5 cm, they fall entirely from Spruce Ayanskaya. The cones ripen at the end of September. The seeds are winged, length – 2.5-3 mm, wing length – 7-11.5 mm. Depending on the growing conditions, Spruce Ayanskaya begins to produce seeds from 8 to 10 years of age.

The Ayanskaya spruce grows slowly, especially in its youth, like many other spruce species in Russia - it is shade-tolerant and frost-resistant. Lives 350-400 years (sometimes up to 500). Not very demanding on soils, grows well in the mountains at an altitude of 400-1200 meters above sea level on gravelly, rocky soils. Absolutely does not tolerate swampy and poor sandy soils. Loamy, moderately moist soils are considered best for its development and growth. During the growing season, high atmospheric humidity is especially required.

The use of Ayanskaya Spruce is the same as European Spruce. Known in culture since 1861 as a decorative gardening crop with bluish-gray needles, it is used to create contrasting groups in the Northern and Middle lane European part of the former USSR. It has been noticed that in Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky it bears fruit, but suffers greatly from late frosts more than other Spruce trees.

Ayanskaya spruce is an edificator of dark coniferous forests of the Far East and needs protection. The golden form of the Ayanskaya spruce with a golden hue of needles is known.

Spruce Glen

Grows in Southern Sakhalin, in the South Kuril Islands, in Japan. This is an evergreen coniferous tree, the height of which is up to 40-50 meters, with a dense cone-shaped crown. In young trees, the bark of the trunk is smooth; in old trees, it becomes lamellar, scaly, and chocolate brown in color.

Glen spruce has densely pubescent shoots located on short petioles (up to 1 mm in length) and rusty-brown in color. The buds are low-resinous, ovoid-cone-shaped, shiny, reddish-brown in color. The length of the buds is 3-7 mm, width is 5 mm. The kidney scales have silk-like sharp tips and have a whitish fringe along the edge. The needles are slightly curved, tetrahedral, short, needle-shaped. The length of the needles is 6-13 mm, width is 2.5 mm. The upper side of the needles is green, the lower side is much lighter, due to the stomatal stripes located on it. The location of the needles is the same. When rubbed, the needles emit an unpleasant, specific odor.

Glen Spruce blooms in spring. Female cones are oblong-cylindrical in shape with a blunt tip and spaced scales, shiny, drooping, brown in color. The length of the scales is 3-5 mi, width - 2 cm. Obovate seed scales, pubescent on the outside, narrowed towards the base. The cones completely fall off the Glen Spruce. The seeds are winged, small, their length is 3-4 mm, the wings are twice as long as the seed. Glen's spruce begins to bear seeds at 25-30 years of age. The weight of 1000 seeds is 3.3 g.

Until the age of 10, it grows slowly, later its growth accelerates slightly. This is a frost-resistant, moisture-loving plant, undemanding to soil fertility. Grows well in fresh, moist soils, near artificial or natural reservoirs. Known in culture since 1914. Effective in group and single plantings, in gardens and parks, near ponds. It is recommended to carry out work on widespread this ornamental plant for creating forest parks. Spruce Glen - rare species evergreen coniferous plants, in the Sakhalin region of Russia is included in the Red Book.

Korean spruce

Grows in the Far East (Primorye, Amur region), Manchuria, North Korea, Japan (Honshu Island). The height of the Korean Spruce is 30-35 (40) m, the trunk diameter is 80 cm. The crown is pyramidal in shape with drooping branches. The bark of the trunk is flaky, brown-gray in color. Young shoots are thin, bare, yellowish-brown in color; by three years of age they are colored reddish-brown. The buds are ovoid-conical, reddish-brown in color, slightly resinous.

The needles are short, green, with a bluish tint, tetrahedral, pointed, and have 2-4 whitish stomatal stripes. The length of the needles is 1.2-2.2 cm, width is 1.5-1.8 mm. The location of the needles is the same. Sometimes the needles are very close to each other. The cones are oval, ovoid, drooping. Young ones are green, mature ones are light brown. The seed scales are ovoid, the upper edge of which is rounded; coverts - elongated. The length of the cones is 5-8 (10) cm, width is 2.5-3.5 cm. The entire cones fall from the Korean Spruce. The seeds are winged, ovoid, dark gray in color. Their length is 4 mm. The wings are 0.9-1.2 cm long, narrow-oblong, light brown in color. Seeds ripen in September-October. Weight of 1000 Seeds – 2.5-6 g.

Korean spruce is a fast-growing tree that lives for 300 years. Low demands on soil fertility, shade-tolerant, moisture-loving plant. Does not tolerate drought at all. By properties and general view Spruce is very close to Siberian Spruce, but unlike it, it has larger cones, bare young shoots, short curved needles of a bluish hue, and is less frost-resistant. The application is the same as for Norway Spruce.

In cultivation as beautiful ornamental plants that are resistant to unfavorable urban conditions, it is planted in single and group plantings, in gardens, squares and city parks. In many countries of the world (Germany, France, USA, England), Korean spruce is quite often found in arboretums and botanical gardens. There are two known varieties of Korean Spruce: Picea koraiensis var koraiensis Nakai; Picea koraiensis var pungsanensis is an endemic species that grows only in North Korea.

Canadian or White Spruce

Homeland - North America, the height of this coniferous evergreen tree is 20-35 (less often - 40) m, the trunk diameter is up to 1 m. The crown is dense, dense, in young trees it is narrowly conical, in old trees it is cylindrical. In young trees, the main branches are directed obliquely upward, in old trees they are either horizontal or drooping downwards. The bark of the trunk is ash-brown and scaly. Thin. The needles are tetrahedral, blunt, 12-20 mm long, stored on the tree for 5-10 years. The upper side of the needles is blue-green, the lower side is blue-white. When rubbed, the needles emit a peculiar unpleasant smell that repels insects.

Canadian Spruce blooms in April-May. The cones are oblong-cylindrical, rounded at the ends. Their length is 3-7 cm, width - up to 2.5 cm. The scales of the cones are thin, shiny, entire, light brown in color. The seeds are black, 2-3 mm long, have a light brown wing, 5-8 mm long. The seeds ripen in mid-September. 100 seeds weigh 2.5-3 g. Canadian spruce begins to produce seeds from 10 to 12 years of age.

Canadian Spruce is not picky about soils; it can grow well on sandy, poor, dry, rocky soils, rising to an altitude of 1500 m above sea level, but worse on swampy soils. This is a frost-resistant, fairly drought-resistant, wind-resistant plant, less sensitive to gases and smoke than Norway spruce. Does not suffer from strong winds and salty sea spray, snow. Up to 20 years of age it grows quite quickly, later - more slowly, living up to 300-500 years.

Canadian Spruce is planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks, in small tracts, groups, and in alley plantings. It is also effective in the form of tapeworms. IN Western Europe it is planted to strengthen coastal dunes and as windbreaks around gardens and fields. The most interesting spruce varieties and species are: Alberta - narrow pyramidal crown, long needles; Cone-shaped – narrowly cone-shaped crown, short needles; Weeping - the branches are very drooping, the needles are bluish-white; Columnar - the needles are thick, short-blunted; Low – the branches are numerous, dense, the needles are short; Golden – the needles are golden-yellow; Blue - the crown is compact pyramidal, the needles are bluish-green.

Engelman spruce

Homeland - North America, tree height - 20-50 m, has a thick, dense, cone-shaped, often asymmetrical crown, with slightly drooping branches. The bark of the trunk is finely scaly, light brown, the shoots are pubescent, pale yellow. The needles are flexible, bluish-green in color, 15-25 cm long, smelling unpleasant when rubbed. Mature cones are ovoid-cylindrical in shape, light brown in color, their length is 4-7 cm. The scales of the cones are thin, loosely fitting, and have truncated or notched tops. The cones ripen at the end of August - September. The seeds are winged, up to 3 mm long, brown in color. The seed wing is about 12 mm, 1000 seeds weigh 3 g.

Engelmann spruce Frost-resistant, resistant to temperature fluctuations, quite drought-smoke-resistant plant. It is not very demanding on soils, but cannot tolerate stagnant moisture, so drained soils are desirable. Lives 300-400 (up to 600) years. Its properties are similar to Prickly Spruce, but differs from it in its pubescent shoots, less prickly flexible needles, and slower growth. Less common in cultivation than prickly spruce.

In landscaping, the silver and blue forms of Engelmann Spruce are most valued. They are planted mainly in group plantings, in parks of populated areas, in the Northern and Central zone of the European part of the former USSR, in Ukrainian Polesie, in the Caucasus and Crimea. The most interesting varieties and types of spruce are: Silver - silver needles; Blue - especially bright in spring, bluish-blue needles; Blue Weeping - bluish-blue needles, strongly drooping branches; Small-coniferous - thin needles, dwarf, spherical shape; Fendlera - Weeping form, the needles are long, thin, silvery.

Spruce Prickly

Homeland - the rocky mountains of North America, this is a large, straight-trunked, evergreen tree, the height of which is up to 45 m and the diameter of the trunk is 120 cm. The branches, horizontally spaced from the trunk, have a regular whorled arrangement. The crown is cone-shaped. The bark is fissured, scaly, gray-brown in color. Large, cone-shaped buds have scales bent back. Young shoots are bare, orange-red in color.

The needles are long (2-3 cm), dense, tetrahedral, sharp, very prickly. Young trees have a silvery white, later becomes dark green. It is located on the shoots and sticks out in all directions. It does not fall off in the winter. Prickly spruce “blooms” in May-early June. The cones are oblong-cylindrical, light brown in color. Their length is 5-10 cm, width - 2-3 cm. The scales of the cones are flexible, thin, oblong-cylindrical in shape, wavy along the edge, jagged at the top. The cones ripen in September. After the seeds have completely spilled out, the cones still hang on the tree until the fall of next year. Studies have shown that seed germination persists for several years. 1000 seeds weigh 4-5 grams.

This is a frost-wind-drought-resistant plant. It tolerates dust, urban smoke, and dry air much better than other conifers. Does not suffer from frosts, since the growing season begins quite late. It is not very demanding on soils; it can grow on excessively moist, podzolic, dry sandy, rocky, carbonate-rich chernozems, but not on swampy soils. It grows a little slower than Norway Spruce. Lives 400-600 years.

Spruce wood Prickly, uniform texture, elastic, durable, white. It is used to make packaging boxes that are easy for interior decoration premises; They are also used to make paper. Having an original, strictly tiered crown in architecture, large silver-blue needles, Spruce decorative types it is the most decorative of all. It is planted in parks, gardens, squares, in the form of tapeworms or rare plantings in all climatic zones of the former USSR from Arkhangelsk to the south of Crimea, in Siberia and Central Asia.

The most interesting forms in terms of crown shape and growth pattern: Columnar - short-branched, columnar crown; Compact - the crown is flat, the branches grow widely in the horizontal direction; Gunnewella - pyramidal shape, dense branching, needles 1.5-2 cm. Kostera - branches downwards, bluish needles.

The following forms are distinguished based on the color of the needles: Green - green needles; Dark green – the needles are dark green; Blue – bluish-green needles, color retained all year round; Light blue – the needles are bluish-white; Silver – the needles are silvery-white; Golden - when planting a tree in the sun, the needles are golden-yellow, in the shade - bluish-white; Yellowish – the needles are whitish-yellow; Light yellow – in winter the needles turn yellow.

Spruce Sitka

Grows in North America, Alaska. This is a slender, evergreen coniferous tree of the pine family. Height – 45-60 (90) meters, trunk diameter – 120-240 (480) centimeters. The crown is broadly pyramidal, with a sharp apex ending in one annual shoot. Several buds are formed under the top of the Sitka Spruce. Next spring, side shoots grow from them. And from the apical bud there is one vertical shoot, surrounded by lateral buds. Thus, a whorl of new branches appears on the Spruce trunk every year. The shoots are bare, light brown in color. The bark of the trunk and shoots is red-brown-gray, scaly, fissured, thin.

The needles are straight, narrow, thin, prickly. Blue-silver-white above, shiny, dark green below. This two-tone color of the needles gives the crown of the Sitka Spruce a bluish-silver beautiful shade. The length of the needles is 12-15 cm, width – up to 1 mm. “Blooms” from late spring to early summer. In spring, cylindrical female cones appear at the ends of the shoots. Young cones are yellow-green, mature ones are light brown. The length of the cones is 5-10 cm, width is 2.5-3 cm.

The seed scales are thin, oblong-rhombic in shape, rounded at the upper ends. Sitka Spruce cones fall off a few months after ripening. Male cones - spikelets - contain a lot of yellow pollen. Therefore, poured from the spikelets, settling, the pollen colors everything around yellow. The seeds are small, winged, light brown in color. Their length is 2-3 mm, the wing is narrow-oblong, with an upper jagged edge, and has a length of 5-9 mm. Seeds ripen at the end of winter, beginning of spring. If they are not collected in time, they will scatter and be carried away by the wind. 1000 seeds weigh 2-15 grams.

This is a shade-tolerant, frost-wind-smoke-gas-resistant plant, much more drought-resistant than the Prickly Spruce. It is not demanding on soil composition. For good development it is necessary high humidity soil and air. It can tolerate temporary waterlogging of the soil quite well. During the first 2-3 years of life, slow growth of Sitka Spruce is observed, then growth accelerates, approaching the growth of Norway Spruce. The lifespan of this plant is 500-800 years. Grows well in the south of the Baltic states, in the Kaliningrad region of Russia, in the Minsk and Mogilev regions of Belarus. As an ornamental spruce species, this plant has been known in culture since 1831.

Planted in gardens and parks in the form of tapeworms, and in small sparse groups, as well as hedges. Sitka spruce is the national treasure of the United States. Its most valuable wood with a brown tint, soft and light, is quite widely used in furniture and carpentry production, for interior cladding, in the manufacture of sound boards and in aircraft construction. It is recommended to grow it in forestry areas of Western Ukraine and Belarus. The forms of Sitka Spruce are known: Glauca - a tree of average winter hardiness, at the age of 19 it had a height of 4.5 m. Dwarf forms of Sitka Spruce decorate rocky gardens, they are also planted in containers.

Spruce Black

Grows in northeastern North America. The height of the Black Spruce is 20-30 m, the diameter of the trunk is 30-90 cm. It has a narrow, irregularly conical crown, and branches drooping to the ground. The bark of the trunk and shoots is thin, scaly, fissured, grayish or reddish-brown. Young shoots are reddish-brown in color and have dense, glandular, reddish pubescence. The buds are ovoid-conical, 5 mm long, non-resinous or slightly resinous. The bud scales are pubescent, elongated-pointed, purple-brown in color.

The needles are dark bluish-green, thin, prickly, tetrahedral, and have stomatal stripes on all edges. The length of the needles is 6-12 (18) mm, width - 0.7-0.8 mm. Densely located needles remain on the tree for 8-9 (14) years, then are replaced with new ones. When rubbed, the needles emit a pleasant aromatic smell. Black Spruce “blooms” in May. The cones are small, ovoid, located on long stems. Their length is 2-3.5 cm, width - 1.5-1.8 cm. Before ripening, the cones are colored purple-brown; mature ones acquire a dull brown color. The scales of the cones are wavy, thin, obovate in shape. Cones remain on the tree for 20-30 years. Black Spruce begins to bear seeds at the age of 8. Fruits annually and abundantly. The seeds are winged, small, dark brown, their length is 2 mm. The wing is orange-brown, 2-3 times larger than the seed.

Black Spruce is a shade-tolerant, winter-hardy, undemanding to soil and climatic conditions, and slow-growing plant. Its application and use are the same as those of other fir trees. In culture, Black Spruce has been known in Europe since 1700, in Russia - since the mid-19th century. However, despite the fact that it is only slightly inferior in decorative value to Canadian Spruce, it is grown in cultivation quite rarely.

In North America and Europe, decorative species of Black Spruce are known: Baisneri - the crown is densely branched, widely rounded, the needles are thin, silver-blue; Doumeti - dense crown, wide-conical shape, branches ascending, light blue needles; Kobold - the crown is dense, spherical in shape, the needles are dark green below, with 4-5 stomatal stripes on top (in Russia it deserves to be tested in amateur gardening); Nana - dwarf graceful form, rounded crown, bluish-green needles, thin; Argenteo-Variegata – white-variegated needles; Aurea – shiny, golden needles; Pendula – weeping crown, up to 5 m in height. Low-growing forms: Empethroides - similar to Dropsy; Ericoides - the needles are very short, reminiscent of the leaves of Erica.

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A Christmas tree or just a spruce is evergreen, which even in winter time retains its color - green. The whole tree is strewn with green needles, which, by the way, you can prick yourself on. Spruce can live 300-350 years. In general, everything conifers They live a very long time and spruce is no exception. But if all the needles of the tree are dry and the tree itself is dry, then it is no longer a living tree, but a dead one. Now they can only burn a fire or heat a hut.

Christmas tree - beautiful plant. It is for its beauty and long green life that it was chosen as a festive symbol when celebrating the New Year and Christmas. She creates a festive atmosphere in the house, introducing notes of freshness and her fragrant pine scent. The Christmas tree is decorated with garlands, tinsel, gifts and other festive attributes, and a bright colorful star is usually placed on top.

For those who care about nature, artificial Christmas trees of a wide variety of sizes are created and sold in stores. From tiny to gigantic. You can also find economic benefits in this, since you can buy an artificial Christmas tree once and decorate it for a holiday for several years.

Spruce in the snow in winter