242 Trees for Shade and Ornament 
The best known, most popular, and most planted, because cheap, 
easily handled, growing most rapidly, and being very beautiful when 
on satisfactory soils and used with judgment as to situation, is — 
P. excelsa Link. (71), Norway Spruce, a large tree from Europe of 
greatest economic as well as ornamental value, with its grand sym- 
metry of graceful, flowing outline, formed by the Gothic arches of 
branches and often gracefully pendent branchlets, beset with dark green 
foliage. A very rapid grower, making sometimes three or four feet in 
a season. In about thirty years it reaches the awkward stage, when 
lower branches die. This happens earlier in poorer sites, where it is 
also thinner in foliage, and becomes ragged and open. It is very vari- 
able and there are in existence a great many forms, dwarf and other- 
wise, which should be used with discretion. The specimens for plant- 
ing should be selected from those which have developed the long, pen- 
dent shoots, for in these consists its beauty when planted in single 
specimens. For grouping, the stiffer forms may be used. To achieve 
its best appearance in singleness, not less than thirty feet growing space 
should be allowed. It is well adapted for windbreaks, screens, and 
hedges, standing the shearing as well as any species. 
The nearest approach in appearance to the Norway spruce of our 
northeastern species is — 
P. rubra Link. (rubens) (72), Red Spruce, the common lumber tree. 
Although picturesque, it is less ornamental and a very slow grower; a 
medium-sized tree, less adaptive than the Norway spruce, and so far 
not often planted. 
Ornamentally, the best species of our Eastern States, with a range to 
the northwest, is— 
P, alba Link. (73), White Spruce, a medium sized tree and one of our 
most hardy conifers, retaining its symmetrical form and full branching 
longer than any other. It is attractive by its cheerful, light bluish- 
green, rather long, slender foliage. It is adaptive to drouthy condi- 
tions if collected from proper localities, e.g., Black Hills; to seashores 
and to a variety of soils from dry to swampy. Its compact habit fit it 
for small places, at points, and in front of groups with darker foliage. 
The only other native spruce suitable for planting is — 
P. pungens Engelm. (74), Blue Spruce, from Colorado and other 
parts of the Rocky Mountains, noted for its remarkable blue to silvery 
foliage. It is hardy and adaptive to drouthy conditions. The blue 
color for which it is prized is not only variously distributed among 
