Growing the Green Knight Oriental Spruce

Size and Appearance

The Green Knight Oriental Spruce is an upright evergreen coniferous tree, with a strong central trunk and radiating layers of branches. It grows at a moderate rate, reaching perhaps 12 feet in 10 years, with a 6 foot spread. The ultimate size is not clear, but it will continue growing, with older trees spreading wider, and reach 25 feet, with a 12 foot spread, in 20 or 30 years. Mature trees will become even larger. The strong central stem grows straight up, with circles of branching radiating out, with some clear trunk between them, giving a very bold layered look. Branches radiate out at about 35 degrees, keeping that neat, layered look for many years. Branches are retained close to the ground for a very long time, unless you remove them for clearance. The bark is pink-gray when young, becoming darker and splitting into small rounded plates on the trunk. The needles are a pronounced dark but bright, glossy green, and they are short, hardly more than ¼ inch long, but densely packed along the shoots, and growing more or less all the way around them. Older trees will develop seed cones, which are about 4 inches long, and hang in clusters along the branches. These are purple in summer, turning light-brown in fall. The bright-red pollen cones in spring are small but beautiful close up.

Using the Green Knight Oriental Spruce in Your Garden

This tree has enormous grace and charm, something sadly lacking in the dull and boring Norway spruce. It is a very superior alternative, and just as easy to grow. Plant it on a lawn as a specimen, alone, or in a cluster of 3 trees – a striking feature if you have the room. Grow it in a row as a boundary marker or screen, or scatter it along the sunny side of a woodland. Always allow enough room for its ultimate growth when planting. Look up and check for overhead wires. Don’t plant closer than 10 feet to a building or wall, or within 5 feet of a property line or fence. Consider the scale of the tree in your space, and be sure you have enough room. For clusters and rows, space trees 6 to 10 feet apart.

Hardiness

The Green Knight Oriental Spruce is completely hardy from zone 5 into zone 8. It is also hardy in sheltered spots in warmer parts of zone 4.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Green Knight Oriental Spruce, and that, combined with sufficient room, will keep the branches growing to the ground for decades. Shade will cause weak growth and the lower branches to die progressively. It grows easily in almost any well-drained soil, benefiting from regular deep watering during its early years, but taking moderate amounts of drought once well-established.

Maintenance and Pruning

You won’t have any significant problems with growing this tree – it’s trouble free and usually free of pests or diseases. It is best to plant it where you don’t need to trim the lower branches for clearance, as this keeps the sweeping, elegant form for as long as possible. If you do need to create a clear trunk, do this progressively while the tree is still young, to keep a clean trunk, rather than leaving it until the tree is older, which will create long-lived scars. If you see any development of two leading stems, cut back the more ‘outside’ one by at least half, to avoid a double trunk, which can lead to splitting and storm damage.

History and Origin of the Green Knight Oriental Spruce

The Oriental spruce, or Caucasian spruce, Picea orientalis, grows naturally in a limited area around the eastern edge of the Black Sea, in Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. It usually grows as single-species forests on mountain slopes. Wild trees have been recorded at 125 feet tall. These areas were once called ‘the Orient’, which accounts for its name, but today there is a move to make Caucasian spruce the preferred common name. The variety called Green Knight was discovered at Wells Nurseries, a specialist conifer grower in Mount Vernon, Washington state, as a single, unique tree among a batch of seedling trees growing in their nursery

Buying the Green Knight Oriental Spruce at the Tree Center

It is always best to grow something in your garden a little out of the ordinary. That doesn’t have to mean ‘hard to grow’, not at all. The Green Knight Oriental Spruce is just as easy to grow as common Norway spruce, but so, so much better. This beautiful tree is not widely grown by nurseries, so our stock is limited, and this could be a one-off availability. Don’t hesitate, order now and grow the best there is.

Growing Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce

Size and Appearance

Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce is a dwarf evergreen shrub that grows just 2 or 3 inches a year, reaching about 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide within 10 years. After that it will continue to grow at about the same rate indefinitely, becoming a remarkable mature specimen that will live for decades. It forms a slender pyramid, becoming broader and slightly more irregular with age, and with branches to the ground more or less indefinitely. The many short stems create a dense, tight surface and the soft-looking foliage give it a wonderful and unique look. The needle-like leaves are no more than ½ inch long, and they are in dense clusters at the ends of every shoot. In spring the new growth is a pale yellow, soon turning yellow-white. A tree at this stage is a stunning and marvelous sight. Gradually it turns greener, until it becomes a bright green with bluish overtones. Exactly when that happens varies, and in the coldest zones it will probably be the end of summer before it is the fully-mature green. It will be earlier in warmer zones. That mature coloring lasts throughout the winter months, with no bronzing or browning, no matter how cold it becomes.

Using Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce in Your Garden

This little charmer is perfect for a rock garden, with other small plants. It would be great along a level of terracing, or at the foot of a wall. Plants like this are especially suitable for dedicated beds of different evergreen conifers – spreaders, spires, balls and cones in different foliage colors from gold to blue. Especially in colder zones this is a great way to have a fascinating and beautiful feature in your garden which just gets better and better over time. In zones 4, 5 and 6 this tree could also be grown in a planter, pot or trough, alone, or again with a collection of other small evergreens.

Hardiness

Despite its small size and amazing coloring, Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce is hardy even in zone 3, and it thrives in all cooler zones into zone 6.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will keep your little tree dense, compact and beautiful, and intensify its white coloring. It will grow well in any well-drained soil, from sand to clay, but good drainage is important. It also grows well in rocky soils and gravels, as long as they are not too hot and dry. Slightly acidic soils are preferred, and very alkaline soils may not be so suitable. Steady moisture and cool soil in hotter zones is needed, so use mulch – either organic or gravel – to achieve this. Mature plants have good resistance to ordinary drought, but don’t do well in hot and humid areas.

Maintenance and Pruning

There is really nothing you need to do to grow Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce once it is established. For the first couple of years you should water regularly, and always give a deep watering just before freeze-up. Otherwise it will take care of itself, normally stays free of pests or diseases and needs no trimming – it develops best left to itself.

History and Origin of Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce

White spruce, Picea glauca, is a tall evergreen tree found all across the northern parts of North America and into the USA, especially in Minnesota and around the Great Lakes. In the west a form usually called ‘variety albertiana’ is found, called western white spruce. Some authorities believe this is a hybrid between white spruce and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), which grows beside it in the west. If that is true this tree would be called Picea x albertiana. In 1904 a dwarf form was found growing wild in Alberta, Canada, and today it is called ‘Conica’ – a very widely-grown and beautiful dwarf evergreen. In 1996 a nurseryman in Eigenbilzen, Belgium, called Ludo Jeurissen-Wijnen, was growing that plant and among them he discovered one unique individual. He named it after his granddaughter, Daisy. At first it was called ‘J.W. Daisy White’, but Ludo insisted that it be changed to ‘Daisy’s White’.

Buying Daisy’s White Alberta Spruce at the Tree Center

We know you will love this little charmer from the moment you receive it. It will grow in your garden and in your heart over the years, becoming a great favorite, we’re sure. But order right away, because collectors seek out this plant, and it will sell out very soon.

Growing the Skylands Oriental Spruce

Size and Appearance

The Skylands Oriental Spruce is an upright evergreen tree with a single central stem and radiating horizontal branches, forming a beautiful pyramidal specimen. It grows 12 to 18 inches a year, reaching about 15 feet tall and 5 feet wide within 10 years. It will mature to a height more like 25 feet and keep growing a little larger each year, forever. Allow about 15 feet for the mature spread, so plant at least 10 feet away from any obstructions like a building or fence. Don’t plant beneath overhead wires or overhanging trees. The branches stay right to the ground for many years, but when you can see the bark you will discover it is pinkish-gray, maturing into attractive rounded plates. The needles are short – about one-third of an inch long, but they are densely packed around the stems, making for a beautiful look. New spring growth is a brilliant bright yellow – a real knock-out color that looks fantastic. As the needles mature they turn more golden, but still striking, and this tree looks golden-yellow all year round, without turning green in summer or winter. As it grows the branches deeper inside turn more green, but that only deepens the impact, by making the gold stand out against the darker green interior – a truly lovely sight that will soon be stopping traffic. The smaller branches tend to become pendulous on mature tree, giving a wonderful graceful look to this tree.

Cones are produced from a relatively early age, of two kinds. The pollen cones are small but bright red, and really stand out against the gold. The seed cones grow to about 4 inches long, and hang singly or in pairs. They are an amazing purple color all summer, turning brown as they mature in the fall. The prolific cone production adds greatly to the beauty of this outstanding tree.

Using the Skylands Oriental Spruce in Your Garden

A tree of this beauty deserves a prominent place, so plant it on a lawn, in the corner of your yard, or at the sunny edge of a woodland. Plant it where you can see it from a window to admire through winter, and of course allow plenty of room for it to grow symmetrically and free of obstructions.

Hardiness

The Skylands Oriental Spruce is very cold resistant, and it grows well in zone 4 and all cool areas. It will also grow all the way into zone 8, so it can be planted in most American gardens.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For good color development, a place in full sun is best. Try to make the south-facing side the one you see most, as this will be the most golden side of the tree. This tree is as easy to grow as any spruce tree, and it will thrive in just about any well-drained soil, including clay and rougher ground. Younger trees will love a deep soaking during dry weather, but established trees have pretty good drought resistance.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases are not normally problems and this tree is deer resistant as well. The needles of young trees can be burned by intense summer sun, but this stops as the roots develop and the tree starts to mature. You can reduce or eliminate this by paying attention to watering, and providing your young tree with some shade, perhaps from a large beach umbrella, during the hottest days for the first few years. Trimming is not needed, and plant so that you don’t have to remove the lower branches – let them sweep outwards in their full beauty. Once your tree is growing well, check that it has just one central growing stem – not two. These ‘double leaders’ can cause splitting problems in the future, so if you see one, cut back the more outward-facing branch by about two-thirds, to allow just one stem to make the central trunk of your tree.

History and Origin of the Skylands Oriental Spruce

You will find the Oriental spruce, Picea orientalis, growing in the Caucasus mountains, which lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, with this species concentrated from southern Georgia into northern Turkey. These areas to the east of Europe were once called ‘the Orient’, which is why this tree has the name it does. It is also sometimes called Caucasian Spruce, and it has been grown as a garden tree for a long time.

The unique golden variety called ‘Skylands’ was found in 1950 by chance, as a random seedling tree growing in the gardens of Skylands Manor. Surrounding the 44-room mansion, the gardens, which became part of the New Jersey Botanical Gardens, were created by a lawyer called Francis Lynde Stetson at the beginning of the 20th century. It is sometimes also listed as ‘Aurea Compacta.’

Buying the Skylands Oriental Spruce at the Tree Center

Trees of this great beauty and rareness are sought after, and collectors constantly seek them out. So we know that our stock will go soon. If you want something very special then order this wonderful tree right now, because they won’t be here for long.

Growing the Gold Drift Norway Spruce

Size and Appearance

The Gold Drift Norway Spruce is an evergreen tree that forms a cascading mass of branches, growing about 12 inches of new growth each year. The branches are densely encircled with needles that are between ½ and 1 inch long. They are closely-packed, pointing slightly towards the end of the branch. They are a bright lime-green color which holds well for years, without darkening very much over time, but spring growth is a little brighter and fresher looking. Where the sun strikes the needles directly they turn bright lemon gold, looking like gold dust has been scattered across the plant. Direct sun is needed for this color to develop, and you might see some burning of the needles in summer on young plants. Don’t worry, as it grows and mature this will stop happening, and the gold effect will be unblemished. Older plants may produce small purple-red cones up to one inch long in spring, that release yellow pollen, and female cones that may develop into 7½ inch long hanging cones 6 months later.

This particular plant lacks the orientation of most trees to grow upwards, so the branches simply cascade downwards if not controlled. A plant left to do this will form a thick flowing carpet across the ground, flowing wherever gravity takes it. Within 10 years it will be about 12 feet across, in a pile of branches a foot or two thick. If you attach it to a strong stake as it grows, you can lead it up 10 to 15 feet high, with cascading side branches.

Using the Gold Drift Norway Spruce in Your Garden

The remarkable plant should be planted where it can be shown to best effect. If you want it cascading, plant it on a slope, at the top of a wall, or among rocks and boulders, perhaps with other unusual conifer varieties. As a staked specimen it can be grown among shrubs in beds, with other conifers, as a lawn specimen or in a paved patio. It can also be grown in a large tub as a specimen.

Hardiness

This plant is remarkably cold-hardy, growing well in zone 4, and probably also growing in zone 3, as the parent tree does. Although it prefers cooler areas, and may struggle in very hot and humid summers, it will grow in zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

To develop the gold effect on the needles, this tree must be grown in full sun, with as much direct sunlight as possible. It does especially well in regions with lots of summer sun, once the potential for sun scorch on young plants has been outgrown. It grows best in moist but well-drained soil that is acidic or neutral. Avoid very alkaline soils and very dry soils, although plants that are well-established have good drought tolerance to normal periods of summer dryness. Mulch over the roots with stones or organic material will help it in drier places.

Maintenance and Pruning

If you want to grow the Gold Drift Norway Spruce as a ground cover, just plant it, remove any stakes it comes with, and let it grow. You can lead the branches in particular directions if you wish to. To grow it as an upright specimen, use a strong stake, preferable steel, and tie one or two of the flexible branches to it, training them upwards as it grows. The stake will soon be hidden by the stems, but it will always be needed to prevent breakage. It can be upright, or at an angle to create a graceful curtain of branches. This tree could also be trained up a wall or on a fence in any fashion you want it to grow. Side branches should be allowed to cascade naturally. Pests and diseases are normally not a problem for this tough and vigorous plant, which will benefit from some tree fertilizer in spring.

History and Origin of the Gold Drift Norway Spruce

This plant is a selected form of the Norway Spruce, Picea abies. That tree grows throughout Scandinavia, and also in mountainous areas of France and Italy. It forms a tall forest tree 60 feet tall, that can in time reach 150 feet or more. There are many selected garden forms, including several that have lost the ability to naturally grow upwards. The two varieties that do this most are called ‘Reflexa’ and ‘Inversa’, and these may in fact be the same plant. In 1990 the plantsman Bob Fincham, who owns a former nursery and personal arboretum called Coenosium Gardens, in Eatonville, Washington State, found a unique branch growing on a tree of ‘Inversa’. He called it, “Unlike anything currently available anywhere”, and named it ‘Gold Drift’.

Buying the Gold Drift Norway Spruce at the Tree Center

This plant is seriously coveted by collectors, and in 2013 it was included in the American Conifer Society’s ‘Collectors’ Conifer of the Year’ program. We know that collectors will soon find that we have this plant, and they will be gone. Order right now, because rare plants like this leave our farm almost as soon as they arrive.

Growing the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce Tree

Size and Appearance

The Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce Tree is a slow-growing coniferous evergreen, adding just one or two inches of growth each year. It begins as a slightly flattened globe of dense branches, and in time it will develop a central stem, growing up into a squat cone. The dense branching is very symmetrical, so it has the balanced and neat look we admire in these special evergreens. Within 10 years the upper crown will be a little more than 2 feet tall, and almost as much wide, plus the length of the trunk, raising it 3 feet or more into the air and creating a very striking and fascinating plant. It will continue to add those inches each year, and the trunk will thicken more, so that in time it will be significantly larger, with great appeal and value. Notice that the trunk does not of course become taller, just thicker and stronger.

The needles of this tree are short and flat, ¼ to ½ inch long, with a dark green to blue-green upper surface and a bright silver underside. New growth is bright and silver-blue, turning greener as it matures. The brown buds at the ends of the branches are scaly and give an interesting touch to the plant.

Using the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce Tree in Your Garden

Because this conical plant is mounted on a trunk it can be planted easily in beds among small shrubs, or among other dwarf evergreens. It could be used as an accent or focal point in a bed, especially with rocks and gravel around it. Plant it at the foot of a rockery as a miniature tree. It is also an excellent choice for a potted shrub, where it will bring its unique presence to a terrace or patio. Who knows, this plant could turn an average gardener into a true collector, starting a fascinating collection of unique and interesting plants that lasts a lifetime. It is also perfect as a gift for a keen gardener – they certainly won’t already have one, as we had to search widely to find such special plants.

Hardiness

Despite its size the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce Tree is very cold resistant. In fact, it grows best in colder areas, thriving in zone 4, and perhaps even hardy in zone 3. Beyond zone 7, especially in the south-east, it will not like the heat and humidity of the summers, but it should grow well in the mild zones of the north-west.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for this tree, and that will keep it sturdy and compact. Too much shade will make it more open and therefore less attractive. It will grow well in any well-drained soil, preferring open, gravel or sandy soils, but not very dry ones. Mulch will conserve moisture, but once well established it is drought resistant in ordinary summers.

Maintenance and Pruning

There is really no maintenance required for this plant. It needs no trimming, as it is naturally dense and compact, and trimming is not advised. Watch for any buds that may develop on the trunk, which should be rub off, as these are part of the root system, and not the plant you want.

History and Origin of the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce

It can be hard to believe, but this remarkable plant comes from a forest tree that can reach 100 feet tall. The Serbian spruce, Picea omorika, is a rare tree in the wild, which is found growing naturally only in a few locations in the valleys and peaks of the Drina river in Serbia. It is not endangered as a species, because it is grown for timber in many countries, and in larger gardens around the world.

In the late 1970s Günter Horstmann, at his family plant nursery in Schneverdingen, Germany, found a witch’s broom on another form of the Serbian spruce. These are strange dense clumps of branches that grow on the limbs of conifers, and many of our best dwarf forms began this way. Günter was a well-known conifer expert, and his nursery, now run by his son, specializes in those trees, in all their variety. He grafted some of the branches of this witch’s broom onto the roots of seedling Serbian spruce trees, and he found it grew into a very attractive plant. Originally it was known as ‘HB No. 2 Horstmann’. ‘HB’ stand for the German word for witch’s broom, Hexenbesen. Because of this we usually call it the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce, but it is more correctly named after Herr Horstmann, as the variety ‘Günter’.

Buying the Hexenbesen Serbian Spruce at The Tree Center

We had our skilled growers attach pieces of this plant onto seedling Serbian spruce trees, leaving a section of trunk. This creates the stem, also known in nurseries as a ‘standard’. Once the plants are established, they become small trees, with a unique appearance. We love to bring these very special plants to our customers. They buy them quickly, so order your tree now, because our stock is irreplaceable, and it will be gone very soon.

Growing the Blue Teardrop Spruce

Size and Appearance

The Blue Teardrop Spruce is a small upright evergreen tree, with many branches forming a rounded shape that is broad at the base and tapers in at the top – exactly like the teardrop it is named after. The branches stay dense and thick right to the ground, so it needs no plants around it to hide an empty base. The stiff branches rise up at about 60 degrees to the ground, in radiating clusters around the main stems. It can easily be kept to a single leading stem for the narrowest profile, or it can be left to naturally fill out over time with multiple leaders.

Each stem is densely packed with short needles – shorter than normally seen on this species of spruce tree – and they turn each branch into a tight blue brush. In spring the new needles are bright powder blue, maturing to a rich silvery blue that is held for years, without any significant greening. This plant grows a few inches each year, so within 10 years it will be about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It will continue to grow throughout its life, reaching 6 feet or more in height, adding a foot or two to its width, and becoming a beautiful and valuable specimen.

Using the Blue Teardrop Spruce in Your Garden

This tough and reliable plant is perfect as a small specimen in a bed, with other shrubs. Tuck it in the space between two larger, green bushes, or grow it beside plants with golden leaves for a beautiful contrast. A special plant like this could be part of a collection of dwarf evergreens, along with other shapes and colors, making a striking low-maintenance bed that will always attract attention. A pair could frame a doorway, and this tree would also grow well in a planter or pot, where it could be displayed on a terrace or patio.

Hardiness

The Blue Teardrop Spruce is extremely hardy and resistant to cold weather. It is completely winter-proof in zone 3 and would probably even grow in a sheltered spot in zone 2. For all colder zones it is an ideal choice. In areas warmer than zone 6 it might suffer, especially in the south-east, but there are many other evergreens in our collections more suited for hot, humid summers.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

A position in full sun all day is best for the Blue Teardrop Spruce, but it could take an hour or two of light shade each day with no problems. Plenty of sun will keep the needle color strong, and prevent greening, and the growth will be sturdy, dense, and compact. It will grow in any ordinary soil, from sand to clay, but it needs good drainage, and areas where water lies on the ground for periods of time are not suitable. In heavier ground plant on a slope, an elevated area, or plant on a low mound of soil to give it the best drainage possible.

Pruning and Maintenance

This tree is easy to grow, and it needs no special attention. Water it regularly during the first growing season, and after that during longer dry spells, but an established plant will be drought resistant. It normally has no pests or diseases, deer leave it alone, and it grows steadily into a superb specimen. Pruning is not normally needed, but if you want the neatest and most slender profile, keep a single leader – which is easy to do. If you see two shoots of the same length at the top, cut back the one furthest from the center of the bush, to keep one strong vertical shoot carrying the plant upwards.

History and Origins of the Blue Teardrop Spruce

The Blue Teardrop Spruce is a selected dwarf form of the white spruce, Picea glauca. Sometimes called Alberta spruce, this tall tree can grow as much as 150 feet tall, and it’s is an important source of lumber and paper pulp. It grows across the north, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and down through Maine, Vermont and Minnesota. There are many selected forms of this tree, which has variable coloring on the needles, with blue and silver forms being the most desired. Some are tall and slender, others weeping, and some are low and rounded.

An old form from the 1950s is called ‘Echiniformis’ (“like a hedgehog”) and forms a rounded ball about 3 feet tall and wide, with blue-green foliage. In the late 1980s the plantsman and conifer enthusiast Robert Finsham owned Mitsch Nursery in Aurora, Oregon. One day he found a different-looking stem growing from a plant of ‘Echiniformis’. From that piece he developed ‘Blue Teardrop’, the special plant we now have stock of. Finsham released this plant at his later Coenosium Gardens nursery, in Puyallup, Washington. For a long time, this plant was mistaken for a variety of the black spruce, Picea mariana, and it is still listed under that name occasionally.

Buying the Blue Teardrop Spruce at The Tree Center

We always have a good range of the very best dwarf evergreens in stock. As a result, we have a growing reputation for these plants, and the demand is always high. The Blue Teardrop Spruce is rarely offered, but collectors and conifer enthusiasts always go for the best, so we know that these plants will soon be gone. Order now and enjoy the perfect miniature blue spruce – don’t wait.

The Green Oriental Spruce is a pyramidal coniferous evergreen with a single central trunk. Even young trees have a beautiful form, with branches right to the ground. Older trees have a wonderful ‘presence’, with broad horizontal branches and dense foliage. The needles are a rich, dark, glossy green. Growing 6 to 12 inches a year, this tree will be perhaps 12 feet tall and 4 or 5 feet wide at the base after 10 years, but ultimately it can reach 80 feet tall, with a width of 20 or 30 feet across the lowest branches. Trees of that size are rare, and you can expect in time for this tree to reach between 25 and 40 feet in height, and perhaps 20 feet across. 

You should allow plenty of room for that ultimate growth when planting the Green Oriental Spruce, so don’t plant beneath overhead wires, or within 15 feet of a building or the property line. This is a majestic tree to place on a large lawn, to view from a distance. Plant a single tree in a smaller garden, but if you are lucky enough to have plenty of room, a grove of 3 or 5 trees would be magnificent. With its classic ‘Christmas tree’ form, this is the perfect tree to attach lights to, and decorate for the holidays. This tree would also be a great choice for a row along a property line, or for planting on the sunny side of a wooded area in a natural setting. It will grow well planted on sloping ground, and among large boulders and rocks in a natural setting.

The bark of the Green Oriental Spruce is smooth and pinky-gray, maturing to darker gray and splitting into small, rounded plates – a very attractive effect. The needles are short, no more than one-third of an inch long, but densely arranged around the young stems. They are very dark green and glossy, and they give this tree its wonderful ‘look’. In spring mature trees produce tiny, bright red pollen cones which are eye-catching. The much larger female cones, hanging singly or in pairs, are a beautiful dark purple color all summer, growing up to 4 inches long and turning brown as they mature in fall.

The Green Oriental Spruce is just as easy to grow as any other spruce tree. It is hardy in zone 4, and grows well even in zone 8, and of course everywhere in between. Any well-drained soil is suitable and once established this tree is moderately drought resistant, so some supplementary watering during extended dry spells will be appreciated, especially by younger trees. Pests and diseases are rarely a problem, and if you do not need the clearance underneath it is best to leave the lowest branches as long as possible. Their sweeping form emphasizes the pyramidal form, and create a beautiful profile.

The Oriental Spruce, Picea orientalis, is native to the Caucasus mountains, an area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is found mostly around the Black Sea, from southern Georgia into northern Turkey. These eastern areas, bordering Europe, were once called ‘the east’, or ‘the Orient’, which is why this tree has its common name. It is also called the Caucasian Spruce, which is a clearer and preferably name for it, indicating exactly its origins. This tree has been cultivated in European gardens for a long time, and the variety called ‘Atrovirens’ was selected for its exceptionally dark, glossy and rich-green needles in the early years of the 20th century, sometime before 1911, at the den Ouden nursery in Boskoop, the Netherlands. This is the tree we call the Green Oriental Spruce, and its is always a scarce and yet highly-regarded tree. We know that our young plants will be snapped up by collectors, so order now – why plant the ordinary, when you can grow the exceptional just as easily?

The Dwarf Black Spruce is a rounded evergreen tree, always wider than tall, forming a dense mound of short branches. It grows slowly, steadily adding a couple of inches a year to its bulk, so that in 10 years it will be about 18 inches tall and 24 inches across. When choosing a spot to plant it, allow enough room around it for its ultimate size, because these tough little guys never stop growing. In time your plant will be 3 feet tall and up to 6 feet across, and with a mature plant like that in your garden you certainly don’t want it to be crowded or need to trim it. Speaking of trimming, that is entirely unnecessary with this plant, which always looks neat, compact and perfectly rounded without any help from us. Even if it is a little irregular when young, it fills out into a near-perfect ‘bird’s nest’ form as it develops.

Each stem of the Dwarf Black Spruce is covered in short needles, radiating out in all directions around them, and thrusting forward towards the end of the stem. No more than ½ inch long, and normally only half that, they are a handsome blue-green color, with a dusty silver coating, giving this plant lots of eye-appeal. Although the full-sized parent plant produces purple cones when mature, it is unlikely these will be produced until perhaps this plant is very old.

The Dwarf Black Spruce is an ideal plant for containers or for the open garden. Plant it in a pocket of a rock garden, where it looks right at home. Grow it on the terraces of a wall, or in the foreground of a smaller garden bed. Especially when young it is perfect for pots and planters, and a lot of keen gardeners create very attractive planters and boxes using dwarf plants like these, with attractive stones and gravel, making charming miniature gardens. When these plants become too large, they can be transferred to garden beds.

The Dwarf Black Spruce should be placed in full sun, although in warmer zones it may appreciate a little afternoon shade. It grows best in damper soils, but not in wet or boggy ones, and it appreciates richer, acidic soils. Adaptable to most conditions, it shouldn’t be grown in dry, sandy places – there are other dwarf evergreens more suited for that. Water regularly, and in hotter zones misting during dry weather will be appreciated. This plant is very cold-tolerant, preferring cooler zones and certainly growing well in zones 3 and 4, and probably also hardy in zone 2 – its parent certainly is. This plant normally doesn’t suffer from pests or diseases and it is resistant to verticillium wilt, which kills some other conifer evergreens. Deer usually ignore it, and this long-lived plant is very easy to grow, becoming a better and better specimen as the years pass.

The Dwarf Black Spruce is a special selection of the black spruce, Picea maritima, a relative of the much more well-known white spruce, Picea glauca. It grows across a large area of northern North America, from Alaska to Maine, and in almost all of Canada. It grows around the Great Lakes from Minnesota to New York, and south to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. It is usually found growing in damper areas around bogs and in peat lands, which is why it is not very drought tolerant. Wild trees are usually between 20 and 50 feet tall, but it can reach 100 feet. It has darker bark than white spruce, and other botanical differences, but the bark coloring is the main reason for its common name. We don’t know where the variety called ‘Nana’ came from, but it has been around for about 150 years, because it is first mentioned by the German horticulturist and tree authority Ludwig Beissner in his book, Handbuch der Nadelholzkunde, (‘handbook of conifer wood science’) published in 1884. It was probably found as a witch’s broom, that is, a cluster of small shoots growing on the stem of a full-sized tree. It has been carefully preserved and reproduced to keep its unique dwarf form over the decades since it was first discovered.

The Dwarf Black Spruce is one of the most popular dwarf conifers, for its hardiness and ease of growth, so we know that our regular clients who come to us for unique plants like this will soon order all our stock, so order your plant right away, while we can still fulfill your order.

Bruns Serbian Spruce is an evergreen needle tree with dense branches to the ground that grows between 6 and 12 inches a year. Within 10 years it will be well over 6 feet tall, and possibly as much as 12 feet tall, but it will only be 2½ to 4 feet wide. Like all evergreens, it will continue to grow throughout its life, so in time it will be considerably taller, but retain than slender form, and never take up a lot of ground space. Unless grown in shade the lower branches will remain for many years, before a trunk develops. The bark on the trunk is dark brown, and split vertically and horizontally into irregular plates, giving a mature tree an attractive appearance.

The stems of Bruns Serbian Spruce are arranged in horizontal layers around the single central trunk, and densely packed, so the tree forms a tight column. The needles cover the branches, hiding the stems, and they are arranged in two broad rows down either side of the stem. The slender needles are between ½ and 1 inch long, pointed, and they are green to blue-green and glossy on the upper side, and gray-green on the lower side. These colors contrast to create a bright, slightly silvered green look, with good depth of color. Older trees often develop clusters of hanging cones, shaped like pointed eggs, between 1¼ and 2 inches long. These are violet-purple when young, and very striking, maturing to a golden-brown color.

Grow Bruns Serbian Spruce as a handsome specimen on a lawn or in beds. With its slender form it can be planted close to walls, and it would be attractive between windows, or in corners around your home. A pair could flank a doorway, driveway or any entrance. On a larger lawn, plant a cluster of 3 or even 5 trees, spacing them about 6 feet apart, for a striking effect. Use this spruce tree to fill the corner of a smaller space or grow it among other evergreen trees of varying forms. This striking tree fits anywhere you need a vertical accent, and a row along a path or drive would also be very attractive.

Bruns Serbian Spruce should be planted in full sun, but it will also tolerate a few hours of shade each day. Avoid very shady places, where the growth will be weak. Areas above zone 7 in the south-east are usually too hot and humid, but it is completely hardy and content in zone 4, all zones in between, and warmer zones with drier summers.

It grows well in almost any well-drained soil, and this adaptable tree is an easy and reliable choice, especially in cooler parts of the country. Pests and diseases don’t normally cause problems, and deer leave it alone. It is a good choice in urban areas, as it is tolerant of air pollution and urban conditions – and it fits well into smaller town gardens. No trimming is needed to keep its slender form, but watch the growing tip, and if you see two branches of equal length there, cut one of them back by two-thirds, or remove it completely, to keep a single leading trunk growing as the spine of your tree.

Bruns Serbian Spruce is a selected form of the Serbian spruce, Picea omorika. This tree is related to the Norway spruce, Picea abies, but it is much more handsome and highly regarded for its beauty than is that common tree. It comes from a very small area in Serbia, on the slopes and hills along the Drina river, and in the wild it is a threatened species, because of the small area in which it naturally grows. However, this tree is grown widely around the world, so it is not in danger of extinction. Wild trees can reach 100 feet tall, and the tree is noted for its slender, spire-like form. The variety called ‘Bruns’ originated in 1955 as a seedling tree, selected for its extremely slender form, by H. Bruns Nursery, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. It should not be confused with another tree from that same nursery called Bruns Weeping Serbian Spruce, Picea omorika ‘Pendula Bruns’, which if staked forms a slender column of weeping branches. For a beautiful slender evergreen, that gives height in a confined space and makes an excellent accent, Bruns Serbian Spruce cannot be beaten. These special trees are grown by attaching pieces of the original tree to roots from seedling trees, and they should not be confused with ordinary seedlings of the Serbian spruce, which grow much wider. Order yours now, and go for the best, as our limited stock will be sold out very soon.