Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce originates from parts of Eastern Europe and the Black Forest. As Europeans emigrated from the Old Country, so did this beautiful conifer—and we're so glad it's part of American landscapes today. An attractive, broad tree with a perfect pyramidal shape, the Norway Spruce is a Christmas favorite. The Norway Spruce grows rapidly, with the ability to reach heights over one hundred feet, but will typically grow between forty and sixty feet in cool and temperate climates. Due to its stature, this Norway Spruce works well as a privacy border or windscreen. If you're just looking for a statement evergreen tree, the Norway Spruce can serve as a lovely standalone, too.

Norway Spruces are also a hardy option for your landscape and can withstand snowfall and temperatures of up to -30 degrees fahrenheit. Thanks to their drought tolerance and resistance to disease, Norway Spruce trees can thrive for centuries. In addition to being an attractive evergreen presence in your landscape, the Norway Spruce tree even attracts wild songbirds.

If you're ready to take home this conifer today, be sure to check out our trees and shrubs planting guide!

The Norway Spruce is a native of Europe's mountainous regions. These stately trees are native to the European Alps, the Balkan mountains, and the Carpathian range, they can even be found in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The origins of this tree explain its incredibly hardy nature.

As European settlers relocated to the United States, so did this beautiful conifer--and we're so glad it's a part of American landscapes today. The Norway Spruce grows rapidly, with the ability to reach heights over one hundred feet, but will typically grow between forty and sixty feet in cool and temperate climates. Due to its stature, the Norway Spruce works well as a privacy border or windscreen. If you're just looking for a statement evergreen tree, the Norway Spruce can serve as a lovely standalone, too.

Norway Spruces are also a hardy option for your landscape and can withstand snowfall and temperatures of up to -30 degrees fahrenheit. Thanks to their drought tolerance and resistance to disease, Norway Spruce trees can thrive for centuries. In addition to being an attractive evergreen presence in your landscape, the Norway Spruce tree even attracts wild songbirds.

Though they are great for cold climates, Norway Spruces prefer full sun, ideally at least 6 hours a day. Fortunately, the height of these trees allows them to access sunlight, and to create shade for homes, landscapes, and other nearby plants.

The Norway Spruce performs well in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, and clay soils. Due to their origin in cold, dry climates, Norway Spruce trees are exceptionally well-suited to drought. However, they do need to be watered regularly in their first several seasons.

Spruce and pine trees do not tolerate soggy soil well, so be sure to provide them with well-draining soil. This tree won't be an ideal match for low-lying or boggy areas of your landscape.

Spruce trees have a beautiful, pyramidal shape when simply left to grow, and do not need to be pruned in order to thrive. In fact, too much pruning can cause damage to young spruce trees. However, you can prune to remove dead branches or crossed boughs, or to eliminate issues with pedestrian pathways or branches hitting a building or another tree. Keep the pruning minimal, and make sure to plan your cuts before starting. The best time to prune a Norway Spruce is in late winter or early spring. Be sure to use gloves and protective eyewear, as the needles of this tree can be quite sharp. Spruce trees, unlike deciduous trees, are best pruned by the branch. Use a hand saw or chainsaw to lop off entire branches, not individual parts of a branch, to avoid causing dead needles on the remnants of your trimmed branches.

A Norway Spruce is a commitment-and a wonderful investment tree-so make sure your spacing doesn't lead you to regrets in a few years. It's important to properly space your Norway Spruces since they will have a spread of 15 to 20 feet when they reach maturity. Give these trees a wide berth, allowing them plenty of space away from driveways, walkways, buildings and other trees. Spruces should be planted at least forty feet away from one another, and from structures. These trees have wide, shallow root systems, and need lots of space to stretch out.