About

Picea breweriana, Brewer's weeping spruce, is a medium-sized evergreen conifer of broadly conical habit producing curtains of dark-green, drooping branchlets and oblong, purplish cones to 10 cm long. One of the most beautiful and distinctive of all ornamental conifers for a sheltered, sunny garden.

About the genus

Picea, the spruces, are evergreen trees with rigid, needle-like leaves arranged singly all round the shoots and narrow, leathery-scaled cones borne near the ends of the shoots. A large genus of ornamental conifers ranging from large trees to compact dwarf cultivars.

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeConifers, Trees
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageEvergreen
HeightHigher than 12 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height20-50 years
Suggested usesArchitectural
Native toCalifornia Oregon

Care notes

CultivationGrow in moist but well-drained acidic soil. Shelter from cold drying winds. Slow growing. See conifer cultivation for more advice
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to adelgids, aphids and conifer red spider mite
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus