PICEA 



PICEA 



1331 



PlCEA (ancient Latin name derived froin plx, pitch). 

 Conifcnc. 8pki('E. ( )rnaniHntal evergreen trees of 

 pj'raniitlal liabit witli spreading wliorled branelies clothed 

 densely with acicular spirally arranged Ivs. About 18 

 species in the colder and temperate climates of the north- 

 ern hemisphere from the arctic circle to the high monn- 

 tains of the temperate regions. Pyramidal trees, some- 

 times dwarfed: Ivs. usually 4-angled, with white lines 

 formed by numerous stomata arranged in rows and on all 

 4 sides, or compressed and stomatiferous only on the up- 

 per side, which, on the lateral brauchlets, by twisting of 

 the leaf-stalk appears to be the lower one, sessile and 

 jointed at the base to a short stalk projected from a promi- 

 nent cushion, called a pulvinus: fls. mona-cious, catkin- 

 like, terminal oraxillary ; thestaminate yellow or red, con- 

 sisting of uiimerous spirally arranged anthers with the 

 connective enlarged at the apex and scale-like the pistil- 

 late greenish or purple, consisting of spirallj' arranged 

 scales each subtended atthebase by a small bract and bear- 

 ing two ovules at the inner side: cones pendulous or 

 spreading, with persistent scales not separating from the 

 axis after shedding the seeds, which are provided with a 

 large and thin obovate or oblong wing. The names Picea 

 and Abies are often exactly transposed by horticultur- 

 ists and others. As now understood, Picea is distin- 

 guished by hanging or wide-spreading cones, cone-bracts 

 much shorter than the scales, leaves 4-augled in cross- 

 section and jointed to a distinct base. Abies has erect 

 cones, the bracts mostly equaling orexceeding thescales, 

 and the leaves mostly flattened or keeled only on one side. 



The catkin-like tls. of the Spruce appear in spring and 

 are often very conspicuous by their bright red color. 

 These are followed by usually pendent cones, green 

 or purple before ripening and light to dark brown at 

 maturity. The Spruces are not only highly ornamental 

 but also very valuable forest trees, and as inhabitants 

 of cooler climates they are especially adapted for culti- 

 vation in northern regions. AH are hardy north except 

 P. Smitliiana and P. Sitcliensis, but do not resist 

 heat and drought well; some, however, as P. pungens, 

 orientalis, exceJsa, and also P. alba and perhaps P. 

 Oinorika, endure drought better than most others. For 

 ornamental park planting the Spruces belong to the most 

 valuable evergreens on account of the symmetrical habit 

 and rapid growth of most species. Only a few, like P. 

 orientalis, obovata, Otnorika, and polifa, are of slower 

 gro\vth and therefore well suited for smaller parks and 

 gardens; and so are the numerous horticultural forms, 

 which are mostly dwarf and slow-growing and some- 

 times more interesting and curious than beautiful. The 

 Spruces are often planted as shelters and wind-breaks, 

 and also used for hedges, especially P. excelsa, which 

 makes a very dense and durable hedge when regularly 

 trimmed. P. polita is also recommended as a good 

 liedge plant and seems well adapted, vs-ith its rigid, 

 spiny Ivs. The Spruces thrive best in moderately moist, 

 sandy loam, but will grow in almost any kind of soil 

 provided it contains enough moisture; wet and dry 

 soils are equally unfavorable. Slopes of northern aspect 

 are well suited for Spruces, and they thrive better in 

 shady positions than most other conifers. As the roots 

 mostly spread horizontally near the surface, the Spruces 

 will grow in shallow soil and are easily transplanted 

 even as rather large plants; they may be moved with 

 success at any time of the year except wher the young 

 shoots are growing, but if possible avoid transplanting 

 shortly before dry weather is expected to set in. 



Propagated by seeds, which ripen in fall and are usu- 

 ally kept dry and cool during the winter and sown in 

 spring outdoors in prepared beds or in fi'ames or boxes. 

 The young seedlings should be shaded and watered in 

 drj' weather and may remain a year or two before be- 

 ing transplanted in nurserj' rows when not sown too 

 thickly. Varieties and rarer kinds are often increased 

 by layers or by grafting on seedling stock of P. excelsa. 

 Picea alba, is used for forms of this species and for P. 

 nigra and rubra. Veneer-grafting in spring or August in 

 the greenhouse is usually employed, less commonlj' cleft- 

 grafting with half-hardened wood. The dwarf forms 

 grow readily from cuttings under glass in August or fall 

 and given slight bottom heat in early spring; also most 

 other forms and species, especially those with thinner 

 and finer branches, can be raised from cuttings. 



The Sprtices are important timber trees. The soft and 

 light, straight-grained wood is much used for construc- 

 tion, the interior finish of houses and for fuel, also for 

 ship-building; but it is not durable in the ground. The 

 bark of some species is used for tanning heather, and 

 the resinous exudations are sometimes employed in 

 medicine. From the Red and Black Spruce, Spruce 

 beer is made by boiling the branches with honey. 

 Spruces are often known in nurseries, especially in this 

 country, un<ler the name of Abies. Alfped Rehder. 



1794. Cones of Piceaa (XY^. 



Largest one, P. i>wji.(7C?is,- lowest one, P. alba; upper right 



hand, P. nigra, var. brevifolia. 



The Piceas embrace some of the most useful as well 

 as ornamental trees of the Conifer family. They cover 

 a great variety of forms, from the stiff -branched, sturdy 

 and rugged P. pungens to the lithe, graceful and droop- 

 ing P. Bretveriana. The American species comprise 

 P. alba, nigra, rubra, pungens, Jingelmanni, Brew- 

 eriana and Sitchensis. The grand and towering Douglas 

 Spruce and the graceful Hemlock Spruce, so called, are 

 not true Spruces and will not be noticed in this article. 



Picea alba, the White Spruce, is a native of the 

 northern parts of America and is justly thought to be 

 one of our best conifers, a compact and upright grower 

 of great longevity; trees growing at Waukegan, 111., 

 over fifty years old are still well branched at the bottom, 

 retain their pyramidal form and annually make an 

 upward growth. They are the most aromatic of the 

 Piceas; in fact, this odor is often used to identify them 

 while young from the Norway Spruce or Engelmann's 

 Spruce. They grow on a great variety of soils, bear 

 crowding well and also will stand severe pruning; hence 

 are used for wind-breaks and hedges. They vary con- 

 siderably in color, some of them fairly rivaling the blue 

 form of the P. pungens. This tree, being a native of a 

 cold climate, is subject to the ravages of the red spider 

 in a warm climate and should not be planted south of 

 Philadelphia or St. Louis. There is a variety of P. alba 

 found in the Black Hills that stands extreme drought 

 better than the northern form and is largely planted on 

 the dry prairies of Nebraska and the Dakotas. It does 

 not, however, do as well in northern Illinois or farther 

 east as the northern variety. 



Picea Engelmanni, one of the gems of Colorado, 

 resembles P. alba, more than it does its near neighbor 

 P. pungens, being of finer foliage and not as stiff- 

 branched as the latter. It is one of the few conifers 

 that will stand the extreme cold of St. Petersburg, 

 Russia, but on our western prairies it soon loses its 

 lower branches, as it seems to be unable to withstand 

 the hot and drying winds of that section in late sum- 

 mer and early autumn. In the eastern states, however, 

 it does not have this fault, as the cooler and more 

 humid air seems to better agree with it. 



Another Colorado conifer, Picea pungens (the blue 

 form being called by some the "Queen of the Piceas "), is 

 a striking and noble tree, seeming to be hardy wherever 

 tested and on all varieties of soil. Strong, sturdy, and 

 upright in growth, its form alone would make it a strik- 

 ing figure in any landscape. Its beautiful color varies 

 from a light silvery hue in some specimens to a dark 

 blue, almost purple in others. In some specimens the 

 branches are in distinct and regular whorls, resembling 

 Araucaria excelsa. Undoubtedly the oldest and finest 

 specimens of this grand tree are found on the former 

 grounds of the late Robert Douglas, at Waukegan, 111. 

 These trees are now 25 to 30 ft. high and show no signs 



84a 



