Picea sitchensis
Common Name(s):
Dwarf Sitka Spruce
Tideland spruce
Synonym:
Abies sitchensis
Yellow spruce
Flower:
No Flower
Blooms :
to:
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
NO
Family:
Pinacea
Med - Lg Shrub (usually >3' and never < 1.5')
Foliage:
Green
Needles are yellowish green to bluish-green, stiff, very sharp, 1" long, with white lines of stomata on the upper surface
Fall Color?
YES
Green foliage
Evergreen
Photo by:
Heading 6
Dense rounded habit and striking two-toned needles
Oregon Native?
YES
West State Native?
YES
Origins:
Discovered as seedling growing in forests of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, given to Victoria Parks Department which shared it with William Goddard, Floravista Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia, in about 1964
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
5
Water Needs:
H
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
NO
Firewise?
NO
Height:
4-8'
Spread:
4-6'
Growth Rate:
Slow
Native Habitat:
Moist places near river mouths at lower elevations and usually near the coast, well-drained sites such as alluvial floodplains, marine terraces, and headlands
Soil:
Moist to wet, sandy soil. Tree prefers rich, forest soil with well-decomposed organic component derived from decaying wood. For garden purposes add redwood compost to soil mix.
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Low
Fertilizer:
None required
Mulch:
Pine bark fines, shredded bark, composted leaves
Apply a slow-release fertilizer in spring, deep water during dry spells, monitor for pests, prune only to shape or remove dead or damaged branches
Long Term:
Winter:
Give deep watering before ground freezes, apply 2-3" layer of mulch, brush off snow, use trunk guards against rodents
Spring:
Fertilize, keep soil consistently moist but well-drained. monitor for pests
Summer:
Protection from hot, dry afternoon sun, deep watering once or twice per week, mulch
Fall:
Deep watering until first hard freeze, apply fresh mulch, no fertilizer
General Care Comments:
Full sun, even moisture, rich slightly acidic soil, use slow-release fertilizer in spring, only snip off stray stems or dieback
Common Problems
Drought stress, needle scorch
Diseases:
Needle cast, Cytospora canker, tip blight
Insects:
Spruce aphids, Cooley spruce gall adelgid, Carnation tortrix, Coneworm, Douglas fir tussuck moth, Hemlock scale, Pine needle scale, Spruce budscale, Silver-spotted tiger moth, Spruce budworms, Spruce needleminer, Spruce spider mite, Webworm, White pine we
Environmental Problems:
Intolerant of atmospheric pollution
Pests:
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