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Picea smithiana
  • Morinda Spruce

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

Niche
  • Canopy
    Canopy
    There are no details available for this niche.
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • very acid,acid,neutral,alkaline
    Unknown
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 7
    Zone 7
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Picea smithiana has 0 edible uses listed
Picea smithiana has 0 material uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Young male catkins - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring[1].

Immature female cones - cooked. The central portion, when roasted, is sweet and syrupy[1]. Inner bark - dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread[1]. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails. Seed - raw. Too small and fiddly to be worthwhile unless you are desperate[1].

A refreshing tea, rich in vitamin C, can be made from the young shoot tips[1].

Unknown part

Condiment
Gum
Tea

Flowers

Unknown use

Inner bark

Unknown use

Seed

Unknown use

Seedpod

Unknown use

Material uses

The bark is very water resistant and is used for roofing and making water troughs[2][3].

Small quantities of resin are obtained from between the bark and the wood[2].

Wood - soft to moderately hard. Used in construction, shingles, crates, household purposes etc[2][4]. 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[3].

Unknown part

Charcoal
Resin
Roofing
Wood

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Picea smithiana.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Canopy

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - stratification will probably improve germination so sow fresh seed in the autumn in a cold frame if possible[6]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[7]. A position in light shade is probably best[7]. Seed should not be allowed to dry out and should be stored in a cool place[6]. 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[7]. Cuttings of mature terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, September/October in a cold frame. Takes 12 months[7].

Cuttings of soft to semi-ripe wood, early summer in a frame. Slow but sure.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Picea smithiana. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Likes abundant moisture at the roots, if grown in drier areas it must be given a deep moist soil[8]. Tolerates poor peaty soils[9]. Succeeds in wet cold and shallow soils but is not very wind-firm in shallow soils[10]. Succeeds in most sites, including limestone[11]. Prefers a pH between 4 to 6[9]. Dislikes shade[9]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[8]. 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[8]. Established trees can grow quite vigorously making new growth of 60cm per year for a number of years[12]. Plants in general are slow-growing[13].

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].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Picea smithiana. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Picea smithiana.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Picea smithiana
Genus
Picea
Family
Pinaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[2][3][4][5]
Botanic
[8][9]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
7
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
Environmental Tolerances
  • Strong wind
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
Canopy
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
evergreen
Herbaceous or Woody
woody
Life Cycle
perennial
Growth Rate
slow
Mature Size
30 x 6 meters
Fertility
?
Pollinators
Wind
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
monoecious











References

  1. ? 1.01.11.21.31.41.5 Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. ()
  2. ? 2.02.12.22.3 Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh (1972-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.13.2 Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press (1945-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.1 Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-527-6 (2002-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.1 Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press (1952-00-00)
  6. ? 6.06.1 McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books ISBN 0-901361-21-6 (1985-00-00)
  7. ? 7.07.17.27.3 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
  8. ? 8.08.18.28.3 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
  9. ? 9.09.19.29.39.49.59.69.79.89.9 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
  10. ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
  11. ? Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm ISBN 0-7470-2801-X (1987-00-00)
  12. ? Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO ISBN 0-11-710012-9 (1975-00-00)
  13. ? Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PFAFimport-1888


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Facts about "Picea smithiana"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyPinaceae +
Belongs to genusPicea +
Has common nameMorinda Spruce +
Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
Has edible partUnknown part +, Flowers +, Inner bark +, Seeds + and Seedpod +
Has edible useSeasoning +, Unknown use +, Gum + and Tea +
Has environmental toleranceHigh wind +
Has fertility typeWind +
Has flowers of typeMonoecious +
Has growth rateSlow +
Has hardiness zone7 +
Has lifecycle typePerennial +
Has material partUnknown part +
Has material useCharcoal +, Resin +, Roofing + and Wood +
Has mature height30 +
Has mature width6 +
Has search namepicea smithiana + and x +
Has shade toleranceNo shade +
Has soil ph preferenceVery acid +, Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preferenceClay +
Has soil teloamyture preferenceLoamy +
Has soil tesandyture preferenceSandy +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomy namePicea smithiana +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Inhabits ecosystem nicheCanopy +
Is deciduous or evergreenEvergreen +
Is herbaceous or woodyWoody +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Tolerates windYes +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +