Picea rubens
Common name: 
Red Spruce
Pronunciation: 
PI-see-a RU-benz
Family: 
Pinaceae
Genus: 
Picea
Type: 
Conifer
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Conifer, evergreen tree, to 80 ft (~25 m) tall, broadly conical and rather open.  Bark reddish-brown, shredded when young, separating into reddish-black scales or plates with age, at maturity dark and furrowed.   Needles curved, pointing forward, may be pressed close to the twig, crowded on the upper side, 10-16 mm long, blunt-pointed, slightly yellowish green, faint white dots or lines (stomatal lines) on all of the 4 sides.   Cones oval-oblong, 2.4-4 cm long, blunt pointed, glossy red-brown, scale stiff and woody, green to purple-violet when young, quickly abscising when mature.
  • Sun.  Prefers moderately moist well-drained soil.  Suffers in warm summer areas.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 2      Native range extends from eastern Quebec to the Maritime provinces of Canada (the provincial tree of Nova Scotia) and southwestward to the Appalachian Mountains of the US.
  • rubens: red, possibly a reference to its red-brown cones.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • cone ladened crown

    cone ladened crown

  • branch with cones

    branch with cones

  • branchlets and cones

    branchlets and cones

  • branchlet, needles

    branchlet, needles

  • underside of branchlets, needles

    underside of branchlets, needles