Picea omorika aka Serbian Spruce

Serbian spruce, Picea omorika, is an evergreen conifer in the pine family. It comes from a small area in the Tara and Javor mountains on either side of the upper Drina River. That range spans western Serbia and eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. There it grows on limestone soils. Josif Pančić discovered it in 1875. The species name comes from a Balkan local word for spruce.

In gardens this tree reaches 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) tall. Its spread stays narrow at 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.6 m). In the wild, old trees can top 100 feet (30 m). The crown forms a slim, spire-like pyramid on a slender, straight trunk. Its short branches hang downward, then turn up at their tips. This gives the tree a graceful, drooping look. It grows slowly and may take 20 to 50 years to reach full size.

The needles are flat, which is unusual among spruces. Most spruces have four-sided needles. They measure about half an inch to one inch long, overlap, and point forward along the shoot. The upper side is glossy dark green. The underside carries two whitish bands, so the foliage flashes silver in a breeze. New shoots are orange-brown and finely hairy. The thin, dark brown bark breaks into small, scaly plates.

The tree carries male and female structures on the same plant, and these have no ornamental value. The cones are the real feature. They hang from the branch ends and reach 1 to 2.5 inches (3 to 6 cm) long. Young cones are violet-purple and ripen to a glossy reddish or cinnamon brown. Their scales have finely toothed edges. Birds visit the tree, and its branches give cover to birds and rabbits.

Serbian spruce grows best in full sun to part shade. It prefers deep, moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. It accepts clay, loam or sand, and acid or alkaline conditions. It suits USDA zones 4 to 7 and earns the RHS rating H7. Cool summers suit it best. It copes with heat and humidity better than many spruces, though it often struggles south of zone 7. Shelter it from strong, cold winter winds. It tolerates city pollution, and deer tend to leave it alone. It needs no pruning.

Many growers rank it among the most attractive spruces. Use it as a specimen, in groups, as a screen or as a street tree. Its narrow shape fits spaces where broader conifers would not. Its moderate wind resistance suits shelterbelts, and the wood goes into paper pulp. Dwarf and weeping selections exist, but these differ from the species.

Serious problems are rare. Spider mites, aphids, budworms and borers can attack it. Adelgids and conifer aphid may also appear. Honey fungus is a possible disease. No hazards are recorded. The young male catkins, cooked immature cones, seeds and inner bark are edible in small or emergency amounts. Young shoot tips make a tea rich in vitamin C.