Picea mariana: Wildlife Value
Twigs, leaves, and seed serve as food for wildlife. Nesting site for birds.
Plant Profile: Picea mariana
Taxonomy: Picea marianaNames
Black Hills Spruce, Black Spruce
Phonetic Spelling:PY-see-uh mar-ee-AH-nuh
Genus:Picea
Species:mariana
Family:Pinaceae
The Black Spruce develops into a conical, spire-shaped tree. Thriving in cooler climates, it is not fond of summer heat and favors soil that is moderately moist. The long fibers of Black Spruce are primarily utilized for pulpwood, which is essential in the production of high-quality paper.
Tags
#fragrant
#evergreen
#conifer
#playground
#children's garden
Similar Plants
Picea mariana Feature Summary
Attributes
Twigs, leaves, and seed serve as food for wildlife. Nesting site for birds.
Perennial
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Root Cutting
Leaf Cutting
Pieces Used in Games
Wildlife Nesting
extreme flammability
Fruit
Flowers
Purplish cones that mature to brown in the fall
Purple/Lavender
Gold/Yellow
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Fragrant
Spring
< 1 inch
Leaves
4-sided dull bluish-green needles
Needled Evergreen
Green
Blue
Simple
< 1 inch
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Needled Evergreen
Erect
Pyramidal
Slow
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Frequent Standing Water
4a
4b
5b
5a
2a
2b
3a
3b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Children's Garden
Border
Accent
Recreational Play Area
Woodland
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Songbirds
Bark
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Dark Brown
Light Brown
Picea mariana Image Gallery
Picea mariana Attributes
Picea mariana: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Picea mariana: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Picea mariana: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Picea mariana: Fire Risk Rating
extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability
Picea mariana Fruit
Picea mariana: Fruit Description
Fruit Type: Cone
Picea mariana: Fruit Color
Purple/Lavender
Picea mariana: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Picea mariana Flowers
Picea mariana: Flower Description
Purplish cones that mature to brown in the fall
Picea mariana: Flower Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Picea mariana: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Picea mariana: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Picea mariana: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Picea mariana Leaves
Picea mariana: Leaf Description
4-sided dull bluish-green needles
Picea mariana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Picea mariana: Leaf Color
Blue
Green
Picea mariana: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Picea mariana: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Picea mariana: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Picea mariana Whole Plant Traits
Picea mariana: 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 mariana: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Picea mariana: 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 mariana: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Picea mariana: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Picea mariana Cultural Conditions
Picea mariana: 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 mariana: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Picea mariana: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
2a
2b
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
Picea mariana: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Picea mariana Stem
Picea mariana: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Picea mariana Landscape
Picea mariana: 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 mariana: 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 mariana: 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 mariana: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Picea mariana Bark
Picea mariana: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Dark Gray
Light Brown
Light Gray
