Conifers
Bird's nest spruce
Picea abies 'Nidiformis'
Bird's nest spruce forms a dense, low mound with a depression at its center and bright green new growth in spring. This slow-growing, needled evergreen can anchor an open planting bed where its broad shape has room to develop. In its first ten years, it may stand only 1–2 feet tall, but older plants can reach 4–8 feet and spread 8–12 feet or more. Give it full sun and moist, well-drained soil, preferably acidic to neutral. In Southwest Washington, allow for its eventual width when choosing a site, and keep the soil from staying saturated during wet periods.
Ask about this plant
At a glance
- Mature height
- About 3 feet or more; older plants may reach 4–8 feet
- Mature spread
- Often 4–6 feet; older plants may reach 8–12 feet or more
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy to USDA Zone 2
The right plant, the right place
Make room for something good.
The dense evergreen mound provides low, year-round structure in an open bed. Its central depression becomes part of its broad, spreading form.
Where to plant
Choose a full-sun site with room for substantial spread. Allow more space than the shrub's size during its first ten years might suggest.
Through the seasons
Bright green new needles appear in spring against older foliage. The dense, needled mound remains evergreen through winter.
Southwest Washington gardens
Give it a good start.
Check spruce foliage through winter and early spring for aphids. Watch for discoloring needles and galls on new shoots as growth develops.
Soil, drainage & water
Plant in moist, well-drained soil that is acidic to neutral, and avoid saturated ground. Water during prolonged heat or drought if the soil begins to dry.
A little care goes a long way
Growing well, season after season.
Routine pruning is unnecessary. Give the shrub enough space to keep its spreading form without repeated cutting.
Know what to look for
Common growing concerns.
Symptoms can have more than one cause. These notes are a starting point for observing your plant and improving its growing conditions.
Cooley spruce gall adelgid
Green or purplish cone-shaped galls on new growth turn brown and woody; affected tips often die.
Help your plant thrive
Inspect new shoots. Prune galls for short-term appearance if needed, but repeated pruning can spoil the shrub's shape.
Rhizosphaera needle cast
Yellow-mottled needles turn brown or purplish brown and later drop; tiny black dots may appear beneath them.
Help your plant thrive
Allow air circulation, avoid overhead irrigation, and remove fallen affected needles without composting them.
Spruce aphid
Yellow blotches, sometimes with sticky honeydew, precede browning and needle drop.
Help your plant thrive
Check needles during winter and early spring. A strong stream of water can wash aphids from small plants.
A little more inspiration
Keep exploring.
Weeping Norway Spruce
Picea abies 'Pendula'
A sculptural evergreen with hanging branches that can become an upright specimen or a low spreading feature, depending on its form and early training.
Explore this plant
Cupressina Norway Spruce
Picea abies 'Cupressina'
Dense, ascending branches create a slender evergreen column, offering substantial height and winter structure where a full-width spruce would demand too much horizontal space.
Explore this plant
2016.04.12 18.49.07 DSC03409 - Flickr - andrey zharkikh.jpg
Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA
CC BY 2.0 · Web-optimized
Weeping White Spruce
Picea glauca 'Pendula'
A narrow evergreen with an upright leader and dramatically hanging blue-green branches, suited to a cool, open planting space where its tall silhouette can develop.
Explore this plantGood gardens start with a conversation
Let’s find the right plant
for your place.
Ask our team about plant selection and current availability.