Picea wilsonii
Common name: 
Wilson's Spruce
Pronunciation: 
PI-see-a wil-SON-ee-i
Family: 
Pinaceae
Genus: 
Picea
Type: 
Conifer
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Conifer, evergreen tree, slow growing, to about 80 ft (~25m) tall, conical crown, dense, short, horizontally spreading branches; bark gray, irregularly flaking.  Needles (leaves) dark green, 8-15 mm long, about 1 mm thick, 4-sided in cross section, on tiny leaf cushions (pegs), straight or slightly bowed, prickly, particularly dense on the upper side of the branch and directed forward (resembling Picea abies, Norway Spruce), 1-2 stomatal lines on the upper side and 3-4 indistinct stomatal lines below.   Cones oblong-cylindrical, 4-6 cm long, rounded at both ends, light brown scales near circular.
  • Sun to partial shade.  Best in moist soil.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 5     Native to northwestern China, in mountains and river basins between about 4,500 and 9,100 ft (1400-2800 m).
  • wilsonii: after Ernest H. Wilson (1876-1930), a well-known plant collector who introduced a large variety of Asian plant species to the west, his nickname was "China" Wilson.
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  • plant habit, , young tree

    plant habit, young tree

  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • branch with spent male cones

    branch with spent male cones

  • branch with seed cones

    branch with seed cones

  • open cone and needles

    open cone and needles

  • branchlet, needles

    branchlet, needles

  • needles

    needles