November 24, 1906 



HORTICULTURi: 



5*1 



} icea (Spruce) 



These are mountain trees and grow best in the higher 

 altitudes in pure air, nevertheless they will grow also 

 in low lands and require the same treatment as the 

 abies. 



Among the American spruce we liave P. alba, nigra, 

 and rubra, aU three northeast American spruces; all 

 three loolv much like Norway spruce but smaller. They 

 are not of sufficient decorative value for isolated 

 positions on the lawn and can but be used for big 

 plantations ; all three have a few good blue forms which 

 are more ornamental. 



P. alba aurea, the glory of spruces, has the normal 

 growth of a light gray color, yellow at the upper sur- 

 face of the young shoots. P. alba coerulea Houstonii 

 has the normal form, too, but is of a pronounced white 

 color. P. alba echineformis is a dwarf, bushv little 



PiCEA NIGRA DOCJIETTII 



shrub. P. nigra Doumettii is a dwarf, compact, large 

 pyramid, of bluish color. There is a weeping form of 

 P. rubra and a few other forms from the above types 

 but they are seldom seen. 



P. Engelmannii has the growi:h and aspect of a Nor- 

 way spruce when young; the blue form is very decora- 

 tive, has long been confused with P. pungens but is 

 quite different, the needles being not so rigid and more 

 closely pressed against the slioots. 



P. pungens or Parryana is the well-known Colorado 

 blue spruce; the type is grayish green, the needles are 

 rigid and very pointed. There are many good blue 

 forms in cultivation ; the Iwst are P. p. Kostoriana and 

 P. p. pendula. There is also a yellow form. 



P. Menziesii or Sitchensis from the Pacific coast is 

 a beautiful tree but not hardy everywhere. The fine 

 crowded needles all around the shoots, blue underneath, 

 makes it look very distinct. 



P. Breweriana from northwest California is said, 



when big, to have long pendant shoots and to be a very 

 interesting tree, but we can find none to buy. 



The great European spruce is P. excelsa, Norway 

 spruce, the most widely used of all the spruces for big 

 plantings and too well known to require description. 

 A great many forms have been raised from seeds, and 

 no wonder; taldng in consideration the millions of 

 seedlings that are raised every year aU over the world, 

 something has to be found once in a while. 



Clanbrasiliana, dumosa, Gregoryi, Maxwellii, pumila, 

 and a few others are dwarf growing forms, some not 

 much over two or three feet high. Some grow large in 

 diameter and are best planted in big rockeries or slopes. 

 Conica, columnaris, remonta, are very compact grow- 

 ing, large or narrow pyramidal in form. Inverta and 

 pendula major are very interesting weeping forms. 

 Finedonensis and aurea are normal in form with the 

 new shoots yellow when growing; they turn nearly 

 green when ripe. Cranstonii and monstrosa are more 

 curious than ornamental; they make long shoots with 

 almost no side shoots. Coerulea is the only blue-colored 

 spruce ever found in Europe; it comes from the Tura 

 mountains and is of a nice dark blue color. There 

 are many other forms but these are the most distinct. 



P. orientalis from Taurus and Caucasian mountains 

 is hardy nearly everywhere when not in a too exposed 

 situation. It is a very nice, compact growing, little 

 tree, ornamental through its slender shoots and dark 

 glossy green color. Or. aurea is a good form, the young 

 shoots bright yellow on the upper side. 



P. Omorika, from the Carpathian mountains resem- 

 bles the better known Alcockiana; the needles are 

 further apart all around the shoots and show the glau- 

 cus color of the underside without lifting the branches. 

 It is of very strong growth and makes a nice tree; not 

 very common. 



P. obovata from Siberia is a very hardy tree not 

 unlike Norway spruce but smaller and of grayish green 

 color. 



P. Maximowiczii from Siberia to ]\Ianchuria is a 

 tree of perfect pyramidal form ; the needles are short, 

 thin, far apart, rigid and very pointed and show the 

 light brown color of the young shoots. The buds are 

 white. This and the preceding, which grow naturally 

 in a very cold region do not grow well in our mild 

 climate. 



P. Schrenkiana is found from Siberia to Turkestan. 

 The Siberian form is said to be a form from obovata, 

 has shorter needles than the other form which resem- 

 bles more Morinda in its drooping habit, but is hardier. 



P. Smithiana or Morinda from Himalaya; weeping 

 spruce. If there is in New England a situation shel- 

 tered enough to grow that tree it is a blessing for the 

 tree lover, for Morinda is certainly the most graceful of 

 all the spruces. It has the habit of growth of pungens 

 with all the shoots pendulous, and long thin needles 



