| General Description | Picea asperata is a coniferous evergreen tree that is native to Western China. It has the potential to grow up a height of 40-45 m in its natural habitat. This spruce has intriguing blueish green needles and greyish brown bark that is exfoliating. |
| ID Characteristic | It has a columnar form with slightly bowed lateral branches. The needles on this species are a blueish green to a dark green and are very coarse. The bark is a greyish brown that is exfoliating revealing a reddish-brown bark underneath. |
| Shape | This tree has an upright columnar form with bowed lateral branches. As this species ages it may become pendulous. |
| Landscape | This species is not your typical landscape evergreen, because it is usually found in mountain terrains and therefore is not planted in many residential areas; However, in Western China this species is commonly used in reforestation projects. The timber of Picea asperata is also used for many different things including furniture, construction and most commonly the manufacturing of paper. |
| Propagation | The most recommended propagation method for Picea asperata is by seed. It you propagate this plant by seed the seeds will need to be collected in the autumn. These seed should be stored somewhere cool and dry. To make sure that the seed is properly germinate it will have to undergo stratification. This can be done with a bit of sandpaper. When the seed is planted it should be kept in a greenhouse for the first year. If propagating by cuttings you want to select a terminal shoot that is roughly 5 – 10 cm long and add a rooting hormone to the section that was cut and place it into a pot with rooting media. This cutting should be kept in a greenhouse or cold frame for up to 12 months in order to allow the cutting to gain a proper root system. |
| Cultivation | Picea asperata requires rich soil and lots of sun to grow. This species is also wind resistant to ab extent, so is commonly planted as a windbreak. It loves moist but well drained soils and dose not grow well in the shade. It can grow in quite acidic soils but prefers a pH between 4 and 6. |
| Pests | This species has a few pests most of which are sap sucking. These include aphids, adelgids and red spider mites. While these pests cause your plant to look undesirable it is only in severe cases that it will cause the death of the tree. |
| Habitat | This species naturally grows at an elevation of 1500 m – 3800 m a.s.l. on the mountains of Western China. It can be found in wet well drained soils by rivers or in forests. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark on Picea asperata is a greyish brown that is scale like. The bark on this species is exfoliating and once it exfoliates it reveals a reddish bark underneath. The stems are a yellow or reddish-brown colour when young but as they reach there 2nd and 3rd year the bark turns into a greyish brown colour. The shoots are a golden to light brow but as they age, they become a greyish brown. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The leaf buds are golden with scales like plates that create an ovoid-conically shaped bud. These buds are resinous and located on the tips or sides of the branches. They usually range anywhere from 60 – 90 mm in size. |
| Leaf Description | The needles are a blueish green to dark green in colour and are cylindrical. The needles are stiff and pointy at the tips. These needles are facing in a forward direction towards the tip of the leaf. |
| Flower Description | This species pollinates in April and May. |
| Fruit Description | The cones on Picea asperata are a cylindric shape and measure 5-16 cm long by 2.5 – 3.5 cm wide. They are a greenish colour when they emerge but soon after turn a light brown to reddish-brown colour. The seeds are obovoid shaped and measure up to 4 mm wide. They are a light brown to golden colour. |
| Colour Description | The needles on Picea asperata are a blueish green to dark green colour but when new needles appear, they are a light green. The bark is a greyish brown colour but when the bark exfoliates there is a reddish-brown bark that is revealed underneath. The stems are a yellow or reddish-brown that as they age turn to a greyish brown. The leaf buds are a golden to chestnut brown. In the autumn the tree produces cones that reveal a hint of light brown that contrasts with the green of the foliage. |
| Texture Description | Picea asperata is a coarse textured plant that has stiff and pointy needles. This plants texture dose not change during the seasons. |