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Canadian, White or Gray spruce (Picea glauca) is a coniferous tree belonging to the genus Spruce (Picea) from the Pine family (Pinaceae). This is a typical mountain plant, native to Canada and the northern United States.
Much more than the species of Canadian spruce, its many varieties are known. They are widespread on all continents, and due to their high decorative value, they are grown even in unsuitable conditions.
Description of Canadian Spruce
The species Canadian Spruce is a tall tree up to 15-20 m, with a crown spreading over 0.6-1.2 m. Under favorable conditions, the plant can stretch up to 40 m, and the girth of the trunk is 1 m. The branches of young trees are directed upward under angle, lower with age, forming a narrow cone.
The needles on the side facing the light are bluish-green, below – bluish-white. It is because of this color that Canadian Spruce received other names - Gray or White. The cross-section of the needles is rhombic, length - from 12 to 20 mm. The aroma of pine needles is similar to blackcurrant.
Flowering occurs in late spring, male cones are yellow or red in color. Female cones are green at first, brown when ripe, up to 6 cm long, located at the ends of the shoots, cylindrical, rounded at both ends.Black seeds up to 3 mm long with a beige wing measuring 5-8 mm remain viable for no more than 4 years.
The bark is scaly and thin, the root system is powerful and spreads widely. The species is extremely frost-resistant, but does not tolerate air pollution well. Withstands short-term drought, heavy snowfalls and wind. Lives about 500 years.
Variety of blue spruce
It is believed that in terms of decorativeness, the Canadian Spruce is second only to the Prickly Spruce. Its dwarf varieties, obtained as a result of various mutations, have become most widespread and famous. An example of the use of generative changes involving the entire plant is famous Konika.
Thanks to somatic mutations that affect part of the body and are the cause of the appearance of “witches’ brooms,” rounded shapes are distinguished. This is how it appeared cushion variety Echiniformis.
Sometimes the Canadian spruce mutation is prone to reversion when the decorative properties are not dominant. Then the variety can only be propagated by grafting. Domestic nurseries began to deal with them only recently, so they are not able to saturate the market. Such trees mostly come from abroad and are expensive.
Only by grafting do weeping forms reproduce, for example, very beautiful variety Pendula.
Typically, all varieties of Canadian spruce are considered sissies, requiring protection from the sun not only in the hot summer, but also in late winter or spring. This is true and causes a lot of headaches for landscape designers and gardeners. The first should place the Canadian spruce not only so that it decorates the site, but also is under the cover of other plants.The latter are forced to constantly treat the tree with epin and sprinkle it, but the “ungrateful” crop still burns.
New Sanders Blue variety Not only is it easier to care for due to its greater sun resistance than other cultivars, but it also features original needles. In spring it is blue, but during the season it changes color to green, and not evenly, but in large areas, which makes it seem as if the tree is covered with spots of different colors.
The lifespan of White Spruce varieties is much shorter than that of the species plant. Even with good care, you should not expect them to decorate the area for longer than 50-60 years.
Canadian spruce Maygold
There are many dwarf varieties obtained from a mutation of the most popular - Konica. It was while observing its seedlings that branches or entire trees with deviations from the norm were found. This is how the Canadian spruce variety Migold appeared.
A small tree with a pyramidal crown, by the age of 10 it reaches 1 m, each season it increases by 6-10 cm. Canadian Maigold spruce is very similar to Rainbow End variety.
The main difference is the color of young needles. At Rainbow End it starts out creamy white, then turns yellow and then green. The Maigold variety is characterized by golden young needles. Over time they become dark green. But the color change is uneven. First, the lower part of Maigold turns green, and only then changes affect the top.
The needles are dense, short - no longer than 1 cm, cones appear very rarely. The root system is powerful and grows in a horizontal plane.
Spruce glauka Densata
The Sizaya spruce market is represented not only by dwarf varieties. Discovered in North Dakota (USA) around 1933, it is recommended for large and medium-sized areas, public parks and gardens.Densata variety. It is called Black Hills spruce, and was previously considered a separate species.
An adult Densata (after 30 years) has a height of about 4.5-7 m, sometimes reaching 18 m in its homeland. In Russia, a tree, even with the best care, is unlikely to rise more than 5 m. Densata differs from a species plant:
- smaller sizes;
- dense crown;
- slow growth;
- bright blue-green needles;
- shortened cones.
Unlike other varieties, this one, although it is by no means dwarf in size, lives for a long time and can be propagated by seeds.
Canadian spruce Yalako Gold
Dwarf spruce glauka Yalako Gold is a highly decorative variety with a rounded crown. It grows very slowly, reaching a diameter of 40 cm by the age of 10. This variety is very similar to Canadian spruce Alberta Globe.
But its young needles have a golden color, which looks especially decorative against the background of old bright green needles. Up to 10 years, the crown of Yalako Gold resembles a ball, then it begins to gradually spread to the sides, and by the age of 30 it becomes like a nest 60-80 cm high, up to 1 m wide.
Spruce glauka Laurin
One of the most common Konica mutations in European countries is the Laurin variety. It differs from the original form by extremely slow growth - from 1.5 to 2.5 cm per season. By the age of 10, the tree stretches only 40 cm, and at 30 it does not reach more than 1.5 m. In Russia, like all varieties of Canadian spruce, it grows even less.
Laurin's shoots are directed upward, pressed tightly against each other and have short internodes. Its crown looks narrow even compared to other conical varieties. The needles are green, soft, 5-10 mm long.
The photo of the Canadian Laurin spruce shows how tightly the branches fit together.
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Canadian spruce Piccolo
The dwarf, slow-growing variety of Canadian spruce Piccolo reaches 80-100 cm in Russia by the age of 10. In Europe it can stretch up to 1.5 m. The needles of Piccolo are much thicker than those of the original form - Konica. It is quite tough, the young growth is emerald, with age the needles become dark green.
The crown has a regular pyramidal shape. Variety Piccolo is very similar to Daisy White.
Today Piccolo is one of the most expensive varieties of gray spruce.
Conclusion
Canadian spruce is a popular species that has produced many interesting varieties. The most famous are dwarf ones, such as Konica and its slow-growing cultivars with a round or conical crown, cream, golden, blue and emerald growth. But medium-growing varieties and rare weeping forms are also of high decorative value.
