Norway Spruce

Photo courtesy of Kuusi Muuramessa

The Norway spruce is a large, pyramidal evergreen known for its long, drooping branchlets, fast growth, and dense form. It’s been widely introduced in North America as a landscape tree, windbreak, and timber species.

  • Height: 40–100+ feet (can reach 150 feet in native range)
  • Spread: 25–30 feet
  • Form: Classic pyramidal shape when young; older trees may become more open
  • Growth Rate: Fast – 13–24 inches per year or more under good conditions
  • Needles: Dark green, stiff, ½ to 1 inch long 4-sided and sharp, but not as stiff as Colorado spruce. Arranged spirally around the twig
  • Bark: Reddish-brown to gray. Scaly, becoming flaky with age
  • Cone Size: 4–6 inches long (largest of all spruces)
  • Color: Green when immature; brown at maturityShape: Cylindrical with wavy, toothed scales
  • Hang down from branches like ornament
  • USDA Zones: 2–7
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but is adaptable to clay, loam, or sandy soils
  • Moisture: Moderate; more drought-tolerant once established than Engelmann spruce
  • Windbreaks and shelterbelts (common on farms)
  • Provides shelter and nesting for birds
  • Seeds eaten by squirrels and birds
  • Good habitat tree