Banner Photo Credit: Dalibor Ballian CC by SA 4.0
Family: Pinaceae
Latin Name: Picea omorika
Common Name(s): Serbian Spruce
Deciduous or Evergreen: Evergreen
Native Range: Balkans
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-7
Mature Height: 40-60’
Mature Spread: 15-20’
Bloom Time: Non-flowering
Native to Minnesota: No
Shade Tolerant: Partial
Description:
Serbian Spruce is a very popular, very narrow landscape tree not native to Minnesota. Leaves are flat green needles, 1-2 cm long, with silvery undersides, giving both a green and silvery look. The bark is brown with scaly plates, and large cracks. Cones are purple at emergence and turn brown with maturity. The species is known for its narrow, pyramidal, spire-like form.
Serbian spruce’s native range is a very small area in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. Despite the small native range, Serbian spruce is a very popular ornamental tree throughout Europe and North America due to its unusual form and attractive foliage. The species name, omorika, is the Serbian word for spruce.
Issues:
There are no major issues associated with Serbian Spruce, but spider mites and aphids can cause light damage.
Other Resources:
