red spruce
Picea rubens
USDA zones2 to 5
SunHandles full sun or partial sun or full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size70 to 100 feet tall30 to 40 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Red , yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Red spruce (Picea rubens) is a tree for specimen plantings, privacy screens, and borders. It is hardy to USDA zone 2, or down to -50°F (-46°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Birds eat the twigs, leaves, and seeds and nest in the branches. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Spruce budworm often strips the needles, so watch for damage.
Pairs well with American yew, Sweet birch, Mountain laurel, and Blue bead lily.
Native range
CT, DE, MA, MD, and 15 more places. See all 19
CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV; NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, and QC.