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Picea abies — Norway spruce

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Facts

Norway spruce is easy to tell from other spruces by its large cones (5 inches or 12 cm long) and its horizontal branches laden with long, pendulous branchlets. Many cultivars of this attractive spruce are available, and it is easily transplanted even as a mature tree. But this large tree needs plenty of elbow room to develop.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, shrublands or thickets

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Growth form
the plant is a tree
Leaf form
the leaves are needle-like
Leaf cross-section
the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
Leaf arrangement
there is one needle-like leaf per node
Seed cone form
the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
Leaf clustering
the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
Seed cone shape
  • the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
  • the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
Leaves overlapping
the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
Show all characteristics

  • Buds or leaf scars

    Winter bud shape
    • the winter buds are conical (cone-shaped)
    • the winter buds are ovoid (egg-shaped)

  • Fruits or seeds

    Seed cone base
    NA
    Seed cone bracts
    the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
    Seed cone form
    the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
    Seed cone scales
    NA
    Seed cone shape
    • the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
    • the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
    Seed cone symmetry
    the seed cone is symmetrical
    Seed cone umbo position
    there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale
    Seed cone umbo spine
    NA
    Seed wings
    the seeds have wing-like projections

  • Growth form

    Growth form
    the plant is a tree

  • Leaves

    Leaf arrangement
    there is one needle-like leaf per node
    Leaf base
    the base of the needle-like leaf is narrow (not expanded) at the attachment point
    Leaf clustering
    the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
    Leaf cross-section
    the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
    Leaf duration
    the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
    Leaf form
    the leaves are needle-like
    Leaf glands
    there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
    Leaf stalks
    the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
    Leaf types
    there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig
    Leaves overlapping
    the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface

  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • forests
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • shrublands or thickets

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Bark resin blisters
    • the bark has small resin blisters on it
    • there are no resin blisters on the bark
    Leaves on shoots
    the needle-like leaves do not grow in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
    Twig bloom
    there is no bloom on the twig
    Twig hair type
    • the twigs have few or no hairs on them
    • the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands
    Twig hairs
    • the twig does not have hairs
    • the twig is hairy

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

1.  Picea abies (L.) Karst. E

Norway spruce. Picea excelsa (Lamb.) Link • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Forests and thickets, persisting after cultivation.

Native to North America?

No

Sometimes confused with

Picea rubens:
seed cones mostly 2.3-4.5 cm long, scales flabellate, widest at or very near the apex, branches ascending to spreading (vs. P. abies, with seed cones 12–16 cm long, scales elliptic to rhombic, widest near the middle, and branches conspicuously pendulous).

Synonyms

  • Picea excelsa (Lamb.) Link

Family

Pinaceae

Genus

Picea