Picea abies — Norway spruce
![Fruits: Picea abies. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-fr-ahaines.jpg)
![Plant form: Picea abies. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-ha-jlynch-c.jpg)
![Fruits: Picea abies. ~ By Albert Bussewitz. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-fr-abussewitz.jpg)
![Plant form: Picea abies. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-ha-jlynch-b.jpg)
![Plant form: Picea abies. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-ha-jlynch-a.jpg)
![Flowers: Picea abies. ~ By Amadej Trnkoczy. ~ Copyright © 2024 Amadej Trnkoczy. ~ amadej.trnkoczy[at]siol.net ~ CalPhotos - calphotos.berkeley.edu/flora/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-fl-atrnkoczy.jpg)
![Leaves: Picea abies. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-le-ahaines.jpg)
![Fruits: Picea abies. ~ By Adelaide Pratt. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/picea-abies-fr-apratt.jpg)
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Facts
Norway spruce is easy to tell from other spruces by its large cones (5 inches or 12 cm long) and its horizontal branches laden with long, pendulous branchlets. Many cultivars of this attractive spruce are available, and it is easily transplanted even as a mature tree. But this large tree needs plenty of elbow room to develop.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, shrublands or thickets
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Seed cone shape
-
- the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Winter bud shape
-
- the winter buds are conical (cone-shaped)
- the winter buds are ovoid (egg-shaped)
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- NA
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- NA
- Seed cone shape
-
- the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo position
- there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale
- Seed cone umbo spine
- NA
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Leaf base
- the base of the needle-like leaf is narrow (not expanded) at the attachment point
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- shrublands or thickets
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
-
- the bark has small resin blisters on it
- there are no resin blisters on the bark
- Leaves on shoots
- the needle-like leaves do not grow in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hair type
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig hairs
- the twig does not have hairs
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Picea abies (L.) Karst. E
Norway spruce. Picea excelsa (Lamb.) Link • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Forests and thickets, persisting after cultivation.