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Summary

Bloom Color: Red. Main Bloom Time: Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal.

Physical Characteristics

Picea rubens is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
It cannot tolerate atmospheric pollution.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

P. rubra. (DuRoi.)Link.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers Inner bark Leaves Seed Shoots
Edible Uses: Gum Tea

Young shoots. An emergency food, used when all else fails[177]. Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[172]. Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[172]. The cones are 3 - 5cm in diameter[82]. Inner bark - dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[172]. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails. Seed - raw[172]. The seed is about 2 - 4mm long[229] and is too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[172]. A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[172, 257]. A gum is exuded from the tree as a result of injury to the sapwood. It is used for chewing[46, 61, 171].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Pectoral Poultice Vitamin C

A tea made from the boughs has been used in the treatment of colds and to 'break out' measles[222, 257]. The pitch from the trunk has been used as a poultice on rheumatic joints, the chest and the stomach in order to relieve congestion and pain[222]. A decoction of the bark has been used in the treatment of lung complaints and throat problems[257].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Basketry Fibre Gum Pitch Wood

The bark has been used to make baskets[257]. Pitch can be obtained from the trunk[257]. The roots have been used to make thread for sewing baskets, canoe skins etc[257]. Wood - straight-grained, soft, light, not strong[46, 61, 171, 229]. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot[235]. Used for boxes, sash frames etc. It is also valued for its use in the pulp industry to make paper[46, 61, 171, 229] and is commonly used to produce stringed musical instruments[229].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Screen, Specimen. Likes abundant moisture at the roots, if grown in drier areas it must be given a deep moist soil[11]. Tolerates poor peaty soils[200]. Succeeds in wet cold and shallow soils but is not very wind-firm in shallow soils[1]. Resists wind exposure to some degree[200]. A shallow-rooted tree, in the wild it is often blown down by strong winds[229]. Prefers a pH between 4 to 6[200]. Dislikes shade[200]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[11]. This species has been planted experimentally as a timber crop in N. Europe[50]. It is slow to get started, but can then grow fairly rapidly when established though it soon slows down and seems to be fairly short-lived in cultivation, around 100 years is probably the limit[185]. Wild trees live about 300 - 400 years[229]. In some upland areas, especially over granitic or other base-poor soils, growth rate and health have been seriously affected by aluminium poisoning induced by acid rain[200]. Seed production commences when the tree is about 15 years old, though reliable crops are not produced for another 5 - 10 years[229]. Heavy crops occur every 4 - 6 years[229]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[200]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[200]. Closely related to and hybridizes in the wild with P. mariana[229]. It is believed by some botanists to be a hybrid between P. mariana and P. glauca[226]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[200]. The crushed leaves are redolent of apples or camphor[185]. Special Features: North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - stratification will probably improve germination so sow fresh seed in the autumn in a cold frame if possible[80]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[78]. A position in light shade is probably best[78]. Seed should not be allowed to dry out and should be stored in a cool place[80]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year, or be placed in an outdoor nursery bed for a year or so to increase in size. They might need protection from spring frosts. Cuttings of semi-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 8cm long, August in a frame. Protect from frost. Forms roots in the spring[78]. Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, September/October in a cold frame. Takes 12 months[78]. Cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, early summer in a frame. Slow but sure.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick), United States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Picea abies	Norway Spruce	Tree	30.0	2-7	F	LMH	N	MWe	2	1	4
Picea asperata	Chinese Spruce	Tree	40.0	-	M	LMH	N	DM	2	0	2
Picea brachytyla	Sargent Spruce	Tree	40.0	7-10	F	LMH	N	M	2	0	2
Picea breweriana	Weeping Spruce, Brewer spruce	Tree	15.0	5-9	S	LMH	N	M	2	0	2
Picea engelmannii	Mountain Spruce, Engelmann spruce	Tree	20.0	3-7	M	LMH	N	MWe	2	2	2
Picea glauca	White Spruce, Black Hills Spruce, Canadian Spruce	Tree	15.0	2-6	F	LMH	N	MWe	2	2	3
Picea glehnii	Sakhalin Spruce	Tree	30.0	4-7	F	LMH	N	MWe	2	0	2
Picea jezoensis	Yezo Spruce	Tree	35.0	-	M	LMH	N	M	2	1	3
Picea mariana	Black Spruce, Swamp Spruce	Tree	20.0	3-5	S	LMH	N	MWe	2	2	3
Picea omorika	Serbian Spruce	Tree	25.0	4-7	F	LMH	N	MWe	2	0	2
Picea orientalis	Caucasian Spruce	Tree	20.0	4-7	F	LMH	SN	M	2	0	3
Picea pungens	Blue Spruce, Colorado Spruce	Tree	20.0	3-7	M	LMH	N	DM	2	0	3
Picea purpurea	Purple-Coned Spruce	Tree	45.0	4-7	M	LMH	N	M	2	0	2
Picea sitchensis	Sitka Spruce	Tree	50.0	6-7	F	LMH	N	MWe	2	2	2
Picea smithiana	Morinda Spruce	Tree	30.0	6-9	S	LMH	N	M	2	0	2

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Picea rubens - Sarg.