Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
-
Oriental spruce, Bog spruce, Weeping spruce
Number of Varieties
38
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Moist Soils, Slopes, Swamps, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-91-6
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
6-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm3,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Sea Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Blue Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Pinch Tips, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
anti-inflammatory, Disinfectant, Kidney problems, Odontalgic, Poultice, Salve, Stomachic, tuberculosis, Vulnerary
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Inner Bark, Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Disinfectant, Gum, Paper pulp, Pitch, String, Used as a dye, Used in paper industry, Waterproofing
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Bog Garden, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
PICEA mariana
Common Name
River Birch
Black Spruce, Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce
In Hindi
River Birch
Black Spruce Tree
In German
Fluss Birch
Schwarz Fichte
In French
Birch river
Noir Épicéa
In Spanish
river Birch
Negro árbol de abeto
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Μαύρο Spruce Tree
In Portuguese
river Birch
Árvore Spruce Preto
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Czarny Świerk Drzewo
In Latin
Betula
Niger abiegnis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Coniferophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Pinopsida
Order
Fagales
Pinales
Family
Betulaceae
Pinaceae
Genus
Betula
Picea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Pinoideae
Number of Species
335
1
27800
👆🏻