Practical
Plants

Picea orientalis

Caucasian Spruce

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Picea genus in the family Pinaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Picea
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
20 m
Spread
5 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[4]. Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[4]. Inner bark - dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[4]. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails. Seed - raw. Too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[4]. A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[4].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Tea

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Tannin is obtained from the bark[9]. Turpentine is obtained from the bark and branches[9]. Wood - soft, white, easily cleaves, light, durable, has a good resonance. Used for construction, furniture etc[9]. It is also valued for its use in the pulp industry to make paper[3].

Product or use
Resin
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
E. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat
Found in pure stands or mixed with beech, pine and hornbeam, especially on shaded slopes, preferring deep protected ravines with adequate soil moisture at elevations of 300 - 2100 metres[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - stratification will probably improve germination so sow fresh seed in the autumn in a cold frame if possible[11]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[10]. A position in light shade is probably best[10]. Seed should not be allowed to dry out and should be stored in a cool place[11]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year, or be placed in an outdoor nursery bed for a year or so to increase in size. They might need protection from spring frosts. Cuttings of semi-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 8cm long, August in a frame. Protect from frost. Forms roots in the spring[10]. Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, September/October in a cold frame. Takes 12 months[10]. Cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, early summer in a frame. Slow but sure.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Likes abundant moisture at the roots, if grown in drier areas it must be given a deep moist soil[2]. Tolerates poor peaty soils[6]. Succeeds in wet cold and shallow soils but is not very wind-firm in shallow soils[1]. Prefers a pH between 4 to 6[6]. Dislikes shade[6]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[2]. Resists wind exposure to some degree[6]. In some upland areas, especially over granitic or other base-poor soils, growth rate and health have been seriously affected by aluminium poisoning induced by acid rain[6]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[6]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[6]. There are a number of named forms selected for their ornamental value, most of these are dwarf cultivars[6]. Young trees are slow growing at first but from the age of about 5 - 6 years they can grow up to 1 metre a year and this can be maintained for the next 70 years or so. Growth virtually ceases by the time the tree is 90 - 100 years old[5]. Increases in girth follow the same pattern as height increases[5]. Trees probably do not live much longer than 100 years in Britain[5]. They are occasionally planted on a small scale in Europe as a timber tree[8]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[6]. The bruised leaves have a resinous aroma[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

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  4. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  5. Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-11-710012-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  7. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  8. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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  9. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2

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