Picea orientalis

A truly beautiful large, 80-150'conifer known best for its dense, conical habit and small, dark-green, short needles (the shortest of any spruce), the cones are slender first appearing as a reddish-purple before maturing to dark-brown, widely grown in parks and gardens as it is one of the best and most adaptable spruces in cultivation; native to the Caucasus where it grows in pure stands, it is widely used for timber in flooring, instruments, carpentry and furniture, sometimes grown in the U.S. for Christmas trees. S/M

The glossy dark green needles are the shortest of any spruce species, densely arranged on the branches, giving them a tidy, almost manicured appearance. The main branches arch upwards while the smaller branchlets tend to hang down in a curtain effect. Great in a row for screening, or alone as a specimen. Prefers protection from strong winds.

Oriental Spruce grows in a dense narrow pyramid of glossy dark green foliage. This is a tall, symmetrical tree with attractive pinkish gray bark that cracks and exfoliates on mature specimens. The needles are very short, less than a 0.5 in long, and closely packed all around the twigs. They are blunt tipped and four angled. The large main branches of older trees come off the trunk in horizontal tiers, and the branchlets are slightly drooping. In its native habitat oriental spruce can get over 120 ft in height, but cultivated specimens are usually 55 tall with a 20-30 ft spread. Male flowers are a showy brick red, appearing in spring. Fruiting cones are purple at first, maturing to brown; they are about an inch wide and 2-4 in long, and droop when ripe in the fall.

Grows to 60' in height, usually within 60 years, but ultimate height can be 120'. A compact, narrow pyramid with branching that is usually horizontal and even pendulous. The bark is brown with thin scales. This tree will tolerate poor, gravelly soils, but needs protection from harsh winter winds.