Practical
Plants

Picea smithiana

Morinda 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
slow
Height
30 m
Spread
6 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[6]. Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[6]. Inner bark - dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[6]. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails. Seed - raw. Too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[6]. A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[6].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Gum
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Seedpod

Material uses

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

The bark is very water resistant and is used for roofing and making water troughs[3][4]. Small quantities of resin are obtained from between the bark and the wood[3]. Wood - soft to moderately hard. Used in construction, shingles, crates, household purposes etc[3][10]. It is also valued for its use in the pulp industry to make paper[5]. An indifferent fuel but it yields a fairly good charcoal[4].

Product or use
Charcoal
Product or use
Resin
Product or use
Roofing
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Usually found on N. and W. slopes inhabiting the drier upper areas often in association with silver fir or deodar, 2100 - 3600 metres from Afghanistan to Nepal[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
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[12]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[11]. A position in light shade is probably best[11]. Seed should not be allowed to dry out and should be stored in a cool place[12]. 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[11]. Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, September/October in a cold frame. Takes 12 months[11]. 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[9]. Succeeds in wet cold and shallow soils but is not very wind-firm in shallow soils[1]. Succeeds in most sites, including limestone[13]. Prefers a pH between 4 to 6[9]. Dislikes shade[9]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[2]. Resists wind exposure to some degree[9]. Most trees are only hardy to zone 8 (tolerating temperatures down to about -5 to -10°c) but selected clones can succeed in zone 7 with temperatures down to -15°c[9]. 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[9]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[9]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[9]. Difficult to establish because it is sensitive to frost until it is 1.5 metres or more tall, young plants should be given a position sheltered from the early morning sun[2]. Established trees can grow quite vigorously making new growth of 60cm per year for a number of years[7]. Plants in general are slow-growing[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[9].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

  8. PFAFimport-1888

    Unresolved citation

    ↩

  9. 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

  10. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2

  13. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩

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