PHYTOLACCA 



Common in clearings. A variegated form once cult, for 

 ornament is shown in R.H. liiST, p. 16, the Its. light green 

 above often shaded rose and more or less margined 

 white, beneath pale rose to violet. 



Ltster H. Dewey and W. M. 

 FtCEA (ancient Latin name derived from pix, pitch). 

 Coniferm. Spruce. Ornamental evergreen trees of 

 pyramidal hiihit with spreudiiif^ wliorled branches clothed 

 densely with acicninr spivrdlv :,rr:m_'. .1 Iv^. AViout 18 

 species in tlir rdiln- iumI -.i ;:.i,i. hnnif,'^ iif the 

 northern iMini'i'tnrr Ii-.mh : . n , i, |. i.i tin- hi^h 



mountiiiiiN .it tl.r t. 1111, 1 [■,.;> ;.j. ;, . I ' . i iiiui.liil tn-i-s, 



PICEA 



1331 



lines formed by numerous stoniata arniDgud in rows and 

 on all 4 sides, or compressed and stomatiferous only on 

 the upper side which, on the lateral branchlets, 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 prominent cushion, called a pulvinus: fls. monoe- 

 cious, catkin-like, terminal or axillary; the staminate 

 yellow or red, consisting of numerous spirally arranged 

 anthers with the connective enlarged at the apex and 

 scale-like; the pistillate greenish or purple, consisting 

 of spirally arranged scales each subtended at the base 

 by a small bract and bearing 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 horticulturists and others. 



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

 are often very con.spicuous 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. All are hardy north except 

 P. Smilliiutia and P. Sitchenais, but do not resist 

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

 orientaUs, excelsa^ and also P. alba and perhaps P. 

 Omorika, 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, Omorika, and poUtri, are of slower 

 growth 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 curioxis than beautiful. The 

 Spruces are often planted as shelters and wind-breaks, 

 and "also used for liedirf-s. e^pe^'irtlly P. exeelsa, which 

 makes a very dcii-^.- an.l .Inral.l.' IlmIi:.- wlien regularly 

 trimmed. P. pnlii^, i, al-,. m .miiihi. ihIimI as a good 

 hedge plant and ^i.iii« w.ll a.la|,t..l. with its rigid, 

 spiny Ivs. The Spiin as thiivi' ln'st in iiioclcrately 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 when 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 frames or boxes. 

 The young seedlings should be shaded and watered in 

 dry weather and may remain a year or two before be- 

 ing transplanted in nursery rows when not sown too 

 thickly. Varieties and rarer kinds are often increased 

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

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

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

 the greenhotise is usually emploj'ed, less commonly 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 tiner branches, can be raised from cuttings. 



The Spruces are important timber trees. The soft and 

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

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

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

 bark of some species is used for tanning leather, and 



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 

 - luder the name of Abies. Alfred Rehder. 



1794. Cones of Piceas ( X W . 

 P.pvujiens; 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 (.( forms, from the still' l.ranclied, sturdy 

 and rugged /'. ;,»»./. ii.v to tlie litlic, [,n-ar<rul and droop- 

 ing P. Bri'in rill 11,1 . 'I'lio Ainoriraii s]io.-ios comprise 

 P. alba, nigra, riihra. pliii.i.iis. E ,uj.' I iiunini, Brew- 

 eriana and tiitclietisix. 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 tised for wind-breaks and hedges. They vary con- 

 siderably in color, some of them fairly rivaling the blue 

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

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

 in a warm cliuiatf and should not be planted south of 

 Phihul.lpliiaor St. Louis. There is a variety of i'. alba 

 found ill tin- Blaok Hills that stands extreme drought 

 bettor than tlie 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. piiyigens, 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 

 braiiolios an- in .listiii.-f aial romlar wliorls, resembling 



Annir,,ri,i ,.rr, ls,f. r ii.l-n lil.MI>- 1 1 1.l.si and finest 



sporliiMiis .if ilii- L-raiiil inr arr f..iiiMl ..11 tlio former 

 grouii.ls of tin- lal.i l;..l..Tt |l..nirlas. at Waukegan, III. 

 These trees are now 2.5 to 30 ft. high ami show no signs 



