Spruce. Characteristic features of the plant. Varieties

The spruce tree (Picea) belongs to the Pine family. This genus includes approximately 40 species. The Latin name comes from the word "pix", translated as "resin". The Russian name comes from the word of the Proto-Slavic language, and means the same as “pix”. The most widespread variety of this genus is Norway spruce. In the west of Sweden, namely, in Fulufjellet National Park, there is a spruce that belongs to this species, its age is more than 9550 years. This is the oldest arboreal organism on Earth. Everybody knows that Christmas tree - the main New Year and Christmas symbol.

The characteristic features of the spruce.

Spruce is an evergreen, monoecious slender tree. In height, it can be 40 m or more. For ten to fifteen years, the root system is pivotal. In the future, the main root dies off, the spruce lives at the expense of surface roots, located at an interval of fifteen to twenty meters from the trunk. Due to the fact that the root system lies near the surface, the tree is unstable to winds, namely to the windblow type of tree. Crown in the form of a cone or pyramid. Whorled branches are spread horizontally or droop. During the first years, lateral shoots do not grow on the spruce. The bark is gray in color, and it exfoliates from the trunk in the form of thin plates. Needles in the form of needles. The needles are short, not soft, pointed, have 4 edges, but there are also flat ones. Their placement is spiral, sometimes two-row, one needle lives for about 6 years, and maybe longer. Each year, the tree loses up to one-seventh of the needles.

This plant is gymnospermous. Male strobila are small earrings that grow from the axils at the ends of last year's branches; pollen starts to be released on May days. Female strobili are located at the ends of the branches, pollination occurs with the help of the wind, after which they grow and hang. The cones are woody or leathery, pointed, in the form of an oblong cylinder, fall off after the seeds have ripened. The cone contains an axis on which the seed and cover scales are located. In the second month of autumn, the seeds ripen to the full, after which the cones open, the grains crumble, are carried by the wind throughout the space. Seed germination remains within eight to ten years. Fir trees can begin to bear fruit at ten to sixty years, everything depends on the cultivation conditions. On average, a tree lives for two hundred and fifty-three hundred years, but quite often you can find spruce more than 500 years old.

Planting a tree in open soil.

Optimal planting time.

Conifers are unpretentious to care and growing conditions, in addition, they are very decorative. Therefore, in recent years, these plants are cultivated in the adjoining territories almost everywhere. Planting a Christmas tree is quite difficult, especially if the tree is large. It is advisable to buy planting material with closed roots.And all because the spruce does not tolerate the drying out of the root system very badly, if the roots are bare in the open air, then after fifteen to twenty minutes they will die. Professionals recommend purchasing planting material in a nursery or garden center, these establishments have an unblemished reputation, while seasonal markets are not suitable for this purpose. When choosing a seedling, take a good look at it. The needles should be shiny, bright in color, there should be no dried needles, the roots should be in a container. A seedling usually reaches one meter in height, it must have a clod of earth, which in cross section is 1/2 meter, no less.

It is better to plant a plant in open ground from the 15th of April, you can also plant it in late August or early September, because it is during this time period that the root system grows intensively, which means that after planting, the adaptation of the spruce will be quick and easy. It is advisable to plant a plant with a height of more than three meters on November-March days, and the soil lump must be frozen. For planting a decorative tree, which is small in size, you can pick up a place located near the house. If the tree is large, then its superficially located root system will take up a lot of water and nutrients, because of this there will be bad vegetation adjacent to the spruce. For this reason, for planting a large Christmas tree, a plot is selected that is located outside the border of the local area, otherwise it will be necessary to cut the roots of the tree annually. For plants with colored needles and decorative Christmas trees, a well-lit place is selected for planting, because in a dark place, decorativeness will be lost. Do not forget that large-sized animals that are grown in the sun have a uniformly formed crown.

Planting rules.

The pit for planting should be dug 50-70 cm deep. The lower diameter is 30-50 cm, the upper one is 40-60 cm. the drainage system is laid in a thickness of fifteen to twenty cm; broken brick or crushed stone is used for drainage, which are sprinkled with sand.

Before planting, a soil substrate is prepared to fill the pit. The soil mixture contains sod and deciduous soil, sand, humus, peat, ¾ glass of nitroammofoska. It will be better when replacing sheet soil with forest soil. A couple of hours before planting, the root system is immersed in water, leaving the roots in the container. The drainage in the pit is filled with soil mixture. Further, the plant is carefully removed from the container, and the earthen lump cannot be destroyed, after which the seedling is lowered into the pit for planting. When the soil coma resolves, the procedure should be carried out faster, because there is only 20 minutes left to complete the planting. The tree is installed directly in the pit, after which it is covered with soil mixture, and it is not required to tamp it unnecessarily. Consider the fact that the root collar after planting should be at the same height as the surface soil layer. An earthen dump is built around the circumference of the planted plant, after which 1-2 buckets of water are poured into the near-trunk circle. After complete absorption of water into the soil, the surface layer of the trunk circle is mulched with peat. If large seedlings are planted, then the interval between them is two to three meters.

Agrotechnics in the garden.

Mature spruce trees have good resistance to dry periods, they can survive 15 days without watering. But it is worth remembering that small and dwarf spruces, as well as young trees and seedlings, plus everything planted in winter, want to be watered more often. The trees that were planted in winter are watered systematically 1 time / week during the first year, and with each watering, twelve liters of water are introduced into the tree circle, no less.Watering is carried out carefully so that water does not get on the needles. To prevent the appearance of rot on the root system and against the rapid evaporation of water from the soil, the surface layer of the near-stem circle is mulched with a layer of 6 cm, the layer includes needles, conifer shavings, bark or sawdust. Decorative stones are placed around the plant or expanded clay is poured. If you do not mulch the soil, then it will be necessary to systematically loosen it in depth by 7 cm, plus it will be necessary to regularly weed the ground.

Fertilization is also required on a regular basis. Please note that when planting in the pit, you have already made the necessary fertilizing, that is, there is no need to feed the plant in the first year. In the following years, 1 time / season, a complex of fertilizers for conifers is applied to the trunk circle. After planting and transplanted trees, they were first watered with water with growth stimulants diluted in it (drugs: "Heteroauxin", "Epin", "Gerbamin"), the needles are treated with the drug "Ferravit". Adult trees do not need feeding.

Sanitary pruning is carried out, if necessary, while pruning dried and diseased branches. Do not forget that due to strong cutting, the tree may die. But ate prickly spruce needs a formative pruning, a cypress can be formed from a tree.

Spruce replanting.

After planting, for the first fifteen years, the spruce grows slowly, therefore, an adult tree is planted on it for quick landscaping of the territory. Rarely is a tree that reaches 15 m transplanted, but it adapts very well. Transplanting such large trees is carried out at the beginning of winter, the soil should already be frozen, but the temperature conditions should be higher or equal to -8-12 degrees. You can transplant at the end of winter, and the soil should be still frozen. And all because in these conditions the soil adheres perfectly to the roots, which means that the roots will hardly be injured.

Prepare the spruce for transplanting in advance. For this purpose, in the spring, a trench is dug twenty to thirty cm in breadth, one meter deep, along the crown circumference, and the roots are carefully trimmed with a shovel. The trench is filled with peat or humus, and a preparation is poured into it to stimulate the growth of the root system. Further, the trench is watered abundantly. Throughout the summer season, the soil mixture is watered several times, especially during drought. When autumn comes, this pillow will already contain many fine roots. A pit with sheer walls is prepared in the fall, it should be 1 m deep, in cross section it should be one meter more than the diameter of the crown. The soil mixture prepared in advance for filling the pit is removed and stored underground, since it should not freeze. It is also required to prepare spruce bedding, sand and dried leaves.

If the tree has reached a height of less than two meters, then it can be dug manually, for this purpose the spruce is dug along the radius of the trench, the remains of the roots are chopped. The root system of a spruce of this age goes sixty cm deep. For this reason, a tree is dug to this depth. You need to take burlap and put it under the roots, and a clod of earth is also wrapped around it. After that, the tree is removed from the ground and transferred to a new pit for planting. If you transplant a tree more than 2 m, then in this case a grubber is used, it will hold the root system together with the soil clod and the crown without causing injury to them. Drainage, forest floor and dried foliage are laid at the bottom of the pit. Only after this procedure is the spruce placed in the pit, and its root collar should be 50-70 mm higher than the surface soil layer. Also, note that when planting the tree, it should be oriented from south to north. The voids in the pit are filled with the prepared soil mixture, and it must be slightly slammed.Next, you need to take several strong pegs and drive them into the soil around the perimeter of the pit for planting, the interval between the pegs should be equal in size. After that, a tree with stretchers is tied to the pegs, thanks to which the plant will not fall from the winds. The surface layer of the trunk circle is covered with peat, fallen leaves, humus or spruce branches. After the soil settles to the pit, the root collar should be located at the same height with the surface soil layer of the territory.

Diseases and harmful insects.

Ephedra have low immunity to diseases and pests.

Needle rust.

This disease is considered fungal. At the beginning of summer, infected spruce on needles has many cylindrical-shaped bubbles reaching 20-30 mm in cross-section; spores are located in these bubbles. After the maturation of the spores, the membranes of the vesicles burst, the spores scatter and settle on the vegetation located nearby. The disease is most dangerous for young trees, since the needles die off prematurely due to the fungus. To treat the tree and against its infection, it is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid (1% solution) or another fungicide of the same effect. All needles that have flown around are regularly collected and destroyed. It is worth remembering the timely removal of weeds from the territory. Also, the spruce can be affected by the rust of the cones. Diseased bumps are removed from the tree instantly after you find them. The fight against this disease is identical to the fight against pine needles rust.

Shute ate ordinary.

This disease appears in the spring. In infected plants on the shoots of the last year, the color of the needles changes to brown, and it also dies off. Diseased needles are not discarded, but remain on the branches until next spring. During this time period, apothecia of the fungus are formed on the underside of the needles, represented by convex shiny formations of black color. Affected trees slow down their growth, some will die. When you notice the first signs of the disease, immediately cut off all affected branches and spray the plant with a fungicide. For treatment, the tree is treated 3-4 times.

Shute brown.

This disease affects young trees. The needles acquire a brownish-brown color and dry out, but do not fall off, and remain on the branches for a long time. Diseased branches are removed, the spruce is sprayed with a fungicide.

Schütte ate snowy.

Signs of this disease appear in the fall. The needles are covered with spots of brown-red color, and in the spring they are covered with a bloom of white color. In the future, the plaque acquires a dark shade, the appearance of fruit fungal bodies of black color occurs on it. Further, the needles turn brown, dry up and die off. All diseased and affected branches are cut and destroyed. For treatment, a diseased tree is sprayed with a fungicide several times.

Root sponge.

This is a widespread disease, and both conifers and deciduous trees are sick with it, while the root system rots. Fruiting fungal bodies appear at the root collar, in the voids under the roots and on their inner side, there are cases that the fungi are on the litter near the tree. Fungal bodies differ in size and appearance, their upper part has a brown or brown color, their inner side is yellowish or white. They resemble soft cork in texture. In a diseased tree, all affected parts are cut out, and they are also treated with a fungicide.

Spider mite.

This arachnid pest is the most dangerous for the spruce. The tick is especially active in heat and drought. The insect feeds on the Christmas tree cell sap, can squeeze it out to the end. Signs of the appearance of a tick: cobweb and many small dots on the needles. With a large number of pests, the Christmas tree turns yellow, and the needles affected by ticks become lighter, almost white. In drought and heat, needles are sprayed as a preventive measure in the evening hours. The affected tree is treated with acaricides. Preparations: Flumite, Borneo, Apollo, Floromite.Also, the plant is treated with insectoacaricides: "Agravertin", "Oberon", "Aktellik" or "Akarin". To destroy all pests, you need to carry out several spraying measures.

Common spruce sawflies.

In length, these pests reach 0.6 cm, their color is yellow or dark. In most cases, they are located on young Christmas trees, but they multiply en masse on 10-30-year-old fir trees. Affected plants slow down their growth, the ends of the stems are exposed, the crown becomes rounded. The needles acquire a brown-red color, and it does not fall off, but remains on the branches for a long time. For prevention, it is required to dig up the soil of the trunk circle in order to destroy insect habitats. If the plant is heavily infested, the young larvae are sprayed with insecticides. Preparations: "Actellik", "BI-58", "Decis", "Fury".

Spruce bark beetle.

This is also a rather dangerous harmful insect. He gnaws a large number of moves in the bark, with many pests, the death of a spruce can occur. For decorative Christmas trees, the bark beetle is the most dangerous. The most effective drugs for getting rid of pests: Clipper, Bifentrin, Krona-Antip, BI-58. But know that fighting insects is long and difficult.

Spruce needle-eater.

This butterfly is brown in color, its wingspan is 1.3-1.4 cm. Caterpillars painted in a pale brownish-yellow color are harmful to the Christmas tree, on the back they have 2 stripes of dark color. Signs of the appearance of an insect: the needles become rusty, they accumulate, are connected to each other by a rare delicate fiber. Caterpillars lay needles, make round holes at their ends. If the lesions are small, then they are cut out and destroyed, and the tree is sprayed with soapy water (green soap).

Spruce false shield.

This harmful insect has a protective smooth shiny brown shell, because of this, it will be ineffective to treat the affected spruce with an insecticide. Oviposition occurs under the scutellum, numbering about three thousand eggs, of which light pink larvae hatch on July days. They are fed with spruce juice. Because of the larvae, the ends of the stems are bent and die off, the needles become smaller in length, turn brown and fall off. The affected tree begins to grow slowly. In addition, due to this harmful insect, which leaves honeydew, fungi appear, and they are located just in the dew. These insects are especially dangerous for spruce trees that are grown on dry grounds or in the shade. Preventive measures will be compliance with agrotechnical rules and regular spraying of young Christmas trees with insecticides, especially when larvae appear.

The fir-tree can be struck by gray mold, barbel beetles, spruce-fir hermes and aphids can attack it. Do not forget that in frequent cases, pests attack weak or poorly developing spruce. This can usually be due to poor care or inappropriate growing conditions. Also, these plants are more likely to get sick. If the Christmas tree is strong and healthy, then diseases and harmful insects do not threaten it.

Reproduction methods.

Professionals propagate a spruce tree by grafting a cutting of a decorative variety onto the stock of another ephedra with a high level of frost resistance. Amateur gardeners in most cases propagate the Christmas tree with seeds and cuttings.

Cultivation of a Christmas tree by a seed method.

Growing a spruce tree with seeds is a fairly long and laborious task. But if the gardener does not care about the time spent, and he is not afraid of difficulties, then you can grow a Christmas tree by seed.

Sowing is carried out only with fresh seeds. The grains are extracted from a mature, unopened cone, before this procedure it is dried. Before sowing, the seeds are stratified. To this end, they are mixed with dry sand or with sand and peat, and then put into a refrigerator for 1-1.5 months at a temperature of 2-3 degrees.Sowing seeds is carried out in late winter or early spring. Plantings need to be watered abundantly, containers are placed where it is warm and there is good lighting. After the seedlings appear, watering is carried out more moderately. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground the next year, and planting is required on a permanent site.

Christmas tree seedlings grow slowly, in addition to diseases and harmful insects, they can be harmed by direct rays of the sun, rains, strong winds.

Cuttings.

It is advisable to propagate the tree by cuttings in the spring season before the buds on the tree begin to swell. The pruning shears cut off stems 60-100 mm long, branches of the 2nd order remain on them. The lower end of the stem is immersed in a solution to stimulate growth for a couple of minutes, then the cutting is planted at an angle of 20-30 degrees. For planting cuttings, a layer of soil mixture is used, which consists of peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 3 or fine perlite and sand, the proportion is the same; on top of the soil mixture, you need to lay a drainage 5 cm thick, covered with sod soil, its layer is about 10 cm. After planting, the cuttings are moistened by spraying, then the container is covered with a polyethylene cap on top, thanks to which the optimal air humidity will be maintained. The interval between the planted cuttings should be 50 mm, the distance from the cap to the tops of the cuttings should be at least 25-30 cm. In the future, plants need to be frequently and regularly sprayed, and not the seedlings are moistened, but polyethylene. Spraying in the evening is prohibited. Also keep in mind that the temperature conditions of the microclimate must be 25 degrees or less, otherwise the cuttings will burn out. To avoid this, make small holes in the polyethylene so that the greenhouse is ventilated.

After the seedlings have formed their root system, they are transplanted into other containers in order to grow. Plants are transplanted into open ground after a year.

Spruce care in the winter season.

How to care for a Christmas tree in the fall season.

When purchasing a seedling, choose one grown in your climatic conditions, because then in the future the plant will be resistant to frost periods. Exotic species that love warmth can die if the winter is dry. The spruce is quite frost-resistant, but the exception is the “Vostochnaya” and “Brevera” spruce. But keep in mind that the preparation of the Christmas tree for the winter season is mandatory, it does not depend on the variety and variety.

Extreme water charging is done before frosts in November. For this purpose, 20 liters of water are poured under a plant that has reached a height of less than 1 m, 30-50 liters of water are poured under trees with a large height. Saplings 1-2 years old are more in need of such watering, because the root system is underdeveloped, and also Christmas trees with low frost resistance and trees that have undergone formative cutting this season. From the first days of August, nitrogen feeding stops, thanks to this, young shoots will not freeze in winter. Due to nitrogen, the green mass begins to grow actively, but in the fall the Christmas tree must make all its efforts to ripen the already grown shoots before the onset of frosty periods. To accelerate the lignification of the branches and to strengthen the root system, the tree is fed with potassium and phosphorus in the first autumn month, fertilizer is applied to the soil of the trunk circle.

For good tolerance with spruce in the winter season, the surface soil layer of the trunk circle is necessarily insulated, mulched with tree bark. The bark is the best insulation for the Christmas tree, since it will not be an obstacle to air penetration and evaporation of excess water, which means that the root system will not dry out under the bark, compared to mulch in the form of sawdust or fallen leaves. Adult trees and seedlings grown in your climatic conditions are more frost-resistant, therefore, the surface soil layer of the near-trunk circle does not need to be covered.

How spruce winters in the garden.

In the winter season, it is dangerous for the Christmas tree. For example, when a large amount of snow falls in winter, and thus wet snow adheres to a tree, as a result, skeletal branches can break and thin branches can be damaged. Do not shake the tree to remove snow from the spruce, as the twigs are very fragile in the winter season, they can crack. Those branches that you reach are freed from the snowdrift with the help of a broom or a brush, removing snow from the end of the branch to the trunk. The remaining branches, located high, are cleared of snow cover by other methods, for this purpose a long board is taken, its end is wrapped with a soft fabric material. The branches are pushed in turn with the board, after which they gently swing up and down. If the crown is in the form of a column or a ball, then in the fall it is not very strongly pulled together with the help of twine, and the branches should be tightly pressed against the trunk, but not pinched. Thanks to this procedure, the branches will be protected and will not crack. If in winter there is a sharp change in temperature conditions at night and during the day, then the spruce paws can become covered with an ice crust, because of this, their strong inclination and cracking can occur. In this case, supports are placed under the branches so that they support the branches, with the onset of heat, the thawed ice will slide off by itself.

Gusts of wind in winter are also dangerous for Christmas trees. They are especially dangerous for trees of strong growth, because strong winds can pull them out right from the roots, if the spruce of low growth will not disturb the wind. Stretch marks will protect tall fir trees. For this purpose, at the same distance from the spruce, 4 strong stakes are installed along the perimeter, and in height they should be slightly higher than ½ of the tree's height. The stretch is made of twine, one end is tied to the trunk, wrapped in advance with roofing felt, the other end is fixed to the stake. This procedure is performed with each stake. The installation of stakes is carried out in the fall before the soil freezes.

Varieties of firs.

There are approximately 40 varieties of Christmas trees, most of them decorative.

Ayan spruce (Picea ajanensis), or Hokkaid spruce.

This is an ancient variety, you can find it in the Far Eastern territory. The herringbone reaches a height of 40-50 m. The crown has a sharp top of a regular conical shape. The young bark is smooth, the older one can flake off in plates. The color of the bark is dark gray. Shoots are brown-yellow, green-yellow or yellowish in color. The needles are flat, they are about 20 mm long, the upper part is dark green, the lower one has a bright bluish tint. Cones are decorative, slightly glossy, about 65 mm long, in the form of an oval cylinder, painted in a pale brown color. The tree is frost-resistant, loves shade, but whimsical to the soil and can die on swampy ground. This plant species lives for about 350 years. This variety has a subspecies - Khond spruce. This Christmas tree is not so tall, it is more resistant to repeated cold snaps in spring, leaf pillows are swollen, and the buds are cast in a purple tint.

Brever spruce (Picea breweriana).

The homeland of this species is the North American continent. The tree grows up to 20-25 m, the trunk in cross section is 0.45-0.75 m. Branches of the 2nd order are weeping. Resinous buds in the shape of an ellipse or spindle. Young shoots have deep grooves, brownish-red coloration, their surface is pubescent. After a while, the color changes to gray-silver. The needles are flat, blunt at the top, reaching 1.5-3 cm in length. The top of the needles is green, at the bottom they have rows of white stomata. Cones in the form of narrow cylinders, they have a cut off top, they grow in length by 60-100 mm. The scales are thickened, when the seeds ripen, the cones open wide. In European territories, this variety is cultivated on rare occasions.

Eastern spruce (Picea orientalis).

This species forms the Caucasian forests, it also grows wild in the north of the Asia Minor territory. The plant reaches a height of 35-50 m, it is about 2 m in diameter. The crown branches, conical. The bark is scaly, dark gray or brown. Young shoots are light red or yellow-gray in color, and they are also densely pubescent, adult shoots are grayish or gray in color. The needles are short, glossy, slightly flattened, have 4 edges, obtuse at the top. The cones are in the shape of a spindle and a cylinder, they are painted in purple, they are about 10 cm long, later the color changes to pale brown. The species has been cultivated since 1837. Resistance to frost periods is low. The best decorative subspecies will be presented below.

Aurea (Aureaspikata). The crown is narrow, conical in shape. Lateral shoots droop, arranged asymmetrically. The spruce grows up to 10-12 m, the crown in diameter is 4-6 m. The needles of young shoots are painted in a pale golden color, later the color changes to dark green, the needles begin to shine and lose their softness.

Earley Gold. This variety is identical to the previous one, but the repainting of its needles is yellow-green.

Skylands (Aurea Compact). This subspecies is the most popular among all Eastern spruce subspecies. The needles are golden in color all year round. The tree grows to about 11 m, the crown is in the form of a pyramid, the needles are dense and short.

Natanz. The tree grows up to about 20 m. The crown is compacted, contains hanging weeping branches. The needles are dark green in color, short, shiny, not soft. Young cones are colored purple, but later the color changes to brown.

We will also share with you the best miniature subspecies.

Bergmanz Jam. The tree reaches a height of 0.6 m, the needles are painted in a dark green color, the crown in cross section is 0.9 meters. A young tree has an oblong crown, later the shape changes to the shape of a ball, and then to the shape of a pillow.

Professor Lengner. The tree grows up to 0.3 m, the diameter of the plant is the same size. The crown is in the form of a ball, compacted, the needles are short, has a dark green color.

Korean spruce (Picea koraiensis).

The homeland of this species is the North Korean and Far Eastern territories. The tree is protected by nature reserves. The tree grows up to about 30 m. The crown is in the form of a pyramid and contains drooping shoots. The bark is colored brown-red. Young shoots have a light brown or yellow color; over time, it changes to brown-red. The needles are colored green, their length is 0.9-2.2 cm. The cones are elongated, egg-shaped, reaching 80-100 mm in length. Territories are landscaped with these trees, because they are resistant to unfavorable environment. In the middle lane, the cultivation of this variety is only in plans.

Black spruce (Picea mariana).

The homeland of this tree is the North American continent. The tree reaches a height of 20-30 m, the trunk in girth is 0.3-0.9 m. The crown is narrow-conical, irregular. The thin bark is colored brownish-red or brownish-gray, has cracks and scales. Young shoots are brownish-red in color, they are covered with glandular fluff. This species is distinguished by thin needles, the inner part of them is dark blue-green in color, the outer part has rows of stomata. The cones are small or egg-shaped at a young age are colored brown-purple in color, over time they begin to fade, and the color changes to brown. This variety loves the shade, is resistant to frost, unpretentious to the soil. It has been cultivated on European territory since 1700. Spruce of this type in terms of decorative qualities can be second only to the Canadian tree.

Subspecies.

Baysneri. The plant reaches a height of 5 m, the crown is also 5 m in diameter. The needles are painted in a bluish-silver color.There is a compact variety - Baysneri "Compact", about 2 m high.

Come on. The plant is resistant to frost, reaches a height of about 6 m. The crown is wide, conical in shape. The tree has a large number of ascending shoots. Bluish needles make the crown lush. Growth of cones occurs on the trunk.

Kobold. This hybrid variety was bred by crossing Serbian spruce with the Doumeti variety. The tree reaches a height of about 1 m, the crown is also 1 m in diameter. The crown is in the form of a ball, is distinguished by its splendor. Dark green needles.

Nana. Dwarf subspecies, grows up to 0.5 m, frost-resistant. The crown is uniform, round. Thin needles of pale green-blue color.

Subspecies: "Aurea", "Erikoides", "Emproides", "Pendula".

Norway spruce (Piecea abies), or European spruce.

The tree is native to European territory. The plant reaches a height of about 50 m, but most of the trees do not even reach 35 m. The diameter of the trunk is 1-1.5 m. The crown is in the form of a cone, the shoots move away from the trunk or droop and rise at the ends. The bark is thin, brown-red or gray, smooth or fissured. Bare shoots are brownish or rusty-yellow in color. Egg-shaped buds have a brownish color. The needles reach a length of 8-20 mm, have 4 edges, shiny, dark green in color, pointed at the top. The needles remain on the branches for 6-12 years. Cones are elongated, egg-shaped, reach 10-16 cm in length, at first they have a greenish color or dark purple, later it changes to brown. On average, a tree lives for 250-300 years, but the age can be up to 500 years. Subspecies differ in branching.

Comb type. Branches of the 1st order are located in the horizontal plane, 2nd order - thin, grow in a comb-like shape and hang.

Incorrect comb type. Branches of the 2nd order are arranged in a comb-like shape, but irregular.

Compact type. Branches of the 1st order of medium length, densely covered with branches of the 2nd order, which branch.

Flat type. Branches of the first order branch widely in the horizontal plane.

Brush type. Branches of the first order have thickened short branches with brush-like hanging small branches.

Popular subspecies.

Agrokona. The subspecies was bred by Finnish breeders. Has moderate frost resistance. The plant reaches a height of 2-3 m. The crown is wide, in the form of a cone, 2-4 m in diameter. The bark is smooth, pale brown in color, later turns into rough, the color changes to brown-red. The needles are sharp at the end, have 4 edges, and are colored dark green. Large cones in the form of a cylinder.

Repair. A tree of low stature, reaches a height of 3 m. The crown is compacted, in the form of an egg or a cone. The egg-shaped buds are colored orange, the needles are green.

Pumila Glauka. Bonsai. Reaches a height of 1 m. Crohn's flattened round shape, in cross section is 5-6 m. Shoots adjacent to each other, slightly drooping at the top. Dark green needles, cast with a bluish tint.

Also quite popular are the following subspecies: "Aurea", "Berry", "Columnaris", "Konica", "Cranstoni", "Krasnoplodnaya", "Formanek", "Gregoriana", "Inversa", "Little Jam", Maxwelli, Reflexa, Virgata.

The following spruce varieties are also cultivated: "Canadian", "Glena", "Thorny", "Red", "Lutza", "Maksimovich", "Pochkovataya", "Siberian", "Finnish", "Engelman".