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Picea abies

Smithsonian Gardens

Object Details

Description
The Norway spruce is the most commonly used tree for Christmas trees in the UK, despite the fact that it quickly dries out and sheds needles everywhere. This tree is used in many scientific studies, in topics ranging from climate change to Stradivarius violins. It is also a very popular tree to cultivate, with at least 150 difficult to differentiate cultivars currently in existence.
Hardiness
-50 - 10 F
Attracts
Birds
Ethnobotanical Uses
Most common tree used for Christmas trees in Europe.
Medicinal / Pharmaceutical
Herbal tea made from leafy twigs.
Provenance
From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Accession Number
2011-2649A
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Life Form
Evergreen tree
Average Height
40-60'
Bark Characteristics
Gray brown and peeling with thin scales.
Cone Characteristics
Cones grow at ends of branches. Start light green and mature to brown. 4-6" long.
Foliage Characteristics
Needles point down and towards the stem tip. .5-1" long.
Key ID Characteristics
Long narrow cones; needles leave petiole on stem when pulled off.
Structure
Conical
Range
Europe
Habitat
Boreal conifer forests of northern and northeastern Europe; 1-2000 meters
See more items in
Smithsonian Gardens Tree Collection
Common Name
European Spruce
Norway Spruce
White Spruce
Group
[vascular plants]
Class
Equisetopsida
Subclass
Pinidae
Order
Pinales
Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Picea
Species
abies
Smithsonian Gardens
Topic
Trees
Living Collections
Record ID
ofeo-sg_2011-2649A
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax7751f18d1-ff18-48c1-8860-9a3402dddb04
Photographed by: Hannele Lahti
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

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