Plant Profile: Picea abies 'Maxwellii'

Names

Maxwell's Norway Spruce, Maxwell Spruce

  • Photo of Picea abies 'Maxwellii' (Picea abies 'Maxwellii's)

Phonetic Spelling:PY-see--uh A-bees

Genus:Picea

Species:abies

Family:Pinaceae

The 'Maxwellii' form is characterized by its low, irregular globe shape with a flat top, supported by sturdy, short branches. Its mature width significantly exceeds its height. A distinctive aspect of this variety is its propensity to generate numerous short, thick shoots adorned with exceptionally robust needles and dense clusters of buds.

This plant is not fond of summer heat and thrives in cooler summer climates.

Once established, it exhibits some resilience to drought conditions.

While there are no major issues associated with it, potential concerns include canker, wood decay, needle cast, and rust. Additionally, pests such as aphids, bagworms, and borers may pose a threat to the plant.

For further details on Picea abies, please refer to additional resources.

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Feature Summary

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#conifer
#winter interest
#dwarf
#air pollution tolerant
#showy fruits
#deer resistant

Similar Plants

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Feature Summary

Fruit
Large pendulous cones, purple-violet to green when young, mature to a light brown.
Green
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
> 3 inches
Flowers
Non-flowering
Leaves
Rigid, rounded, slightly curved needles
Green
Blue
Orange
Needles
< 1 inch
Stem
Primary branches slightly upturned, secondary branches become pendulous with maturity.
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Mountains
Piedmont
Landscape
Rock Garden
Winter Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Specimen
Drought
Deer
Dry Soil
Patio
Walkways
Woodland
Lawn
Naturalized Area
Bark

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Fruit

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Fruit Description

Large pendulous cones, purple-violet to green when young, mature to a light brown.

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Green
grass
Purple/Lavender

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Flowers

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Flower Description

Non-flowering

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Leaves

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Leaf Description

Rigid, rounded, slightly curved needles

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Green
spa
Orange

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Stem

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Stem Description

Primary branches slightly upturned, secondary branches become pendulous with maturity.

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Whole Plant Traits

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Cultural Conditions

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Landscape

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' Bark

Picea abies 'Maxwellii': Bark Color

grass
Orange