Picea omorika: Country Or Region Of Origin
Southwestwern Europe
Plant Profile: Picea omorika
Taxonomy: Picea omorikaNames
Serbian Spruce
Phonetic Spelling:PY-see-uh oh-MOR-ee-kah
Genus:Picea
Species:omorika
Family:Pinaceae
This spruce is not only visually appealing but also highly versatile. As an evergreen conifer, it features delicate, arching branches and a slender trunk. It thrives in cooler climates characterized by dry air and wind protection. While it may struggle in hot and humid environments, it can often adapt better than many other spruce varieties.
Although it generally faces few significant issues, it can be vulnerable to pests such as spider mites, aphids, budworms, and borers.
Tags
#evergreen
#conifer
#winter interest
#air pollution tolerant
#showy fruits
#deer resistant
#sandy soils tolerant
#clay soils tolerant
Similar Plants
Picea omorika Feature Summary
Attributes
Southwestwern Europe
Attracts birds, provides cover for rabbits and birds.
Woody
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Fruit
Cones have finely toothed scales and hang downward. Young purple cones mature to reddish-brown.
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
1-3 inches
Flowers
Leaves
Overlapping flat needles, glossy dark green above with 2 white lines on the lower side (silvery underside), sharp-pointed
Needled Evergreen
Green
Gray/Silver
White
Needles
< 1 inch
Bark
The thin bark cracks into scaly plates.
Dark Brown
Peeling
Stem
Distinctive to this species, the branches are short (up to 6') and pendant. They curl upwards at the ends.
Straight
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Needled Evergreen
Arching
Pyramidal
Slow
Low
Medium
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)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
24-60 feet
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Mass Planting
Accent
Specimen
Street Tree
Recreational Play Area
Woodland
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Songbirds
Picea omorika Image Gallery
Picea omorika Attributes
Picea omorika: Wildlife Value
Attracts birds, provides cover for rabbits and birds.
Picea omorika: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Picea omorika: 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 omorika Fruit
Picea omorika: Fruit Description
Cones have finely toothed scales and hang downward. Young purple cones mature to reddish-brown.
Picea omorika: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Picea omorika: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Picea omorika: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Picea omorika Flowers
Picea omorika: Flower Description
Non-showy flowers.
Picea omorika: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Picea omorika: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Picea omorika Leaves
Picea omorika: Leaf Description
Overlapping flat needles, glossy dark green above with 2 white lines on the lower side (silvery underside), sharp-pointed
Picea omorika: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Picea omorika: Leaf Color
Gray/Silver
Green
White
Picea omorika: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Picea omorika: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Picea omorika: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Picea omorika Bark
Picea omorika: Bark Description
The thin bark cracks into scaly plates.
Picea omorika: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Picea omorika: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Picea omorika Stem
Picea omorika: Stem Description
Distinctive to this species, the branches are short (up to 6') and pendant. They curl upwards at the ends.
Picea omorika: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Picea omorika: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Picea omorika Whole Plant Traits
Picea omorika: 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 omorika: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Picea omorika: 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 omorika: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Picea omorika: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Picea omorika: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Picea omorika Cultural Conditions
Picea omorika: 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 omorika: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Picea omorika: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Picea omorika: 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 omorika: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Picea omorika: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
Picea omorika: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Picea omorika Landscape
Picea omorika: 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 omorika: 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 omorika: 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 omorika: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
